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The California Public Utilities Commission has voted to allow autonomous-vehicle companies Cruise and Waymo to expand their fleets and operate as taxi services in San Francisco. The decision has sparked controversy and protests from various groups with differing concerns.

Opponents of the expansion, including a group of protesters gathered outside the commission headquarters, argue against corporate greed and safety risks associated with autonomous vehicles. A small dog killed by a Waymo car earlier this summer was referenced, along with concerns about accidents and the behavior of driverless cars.

City agencies, including the fire department, police department, and public-transit system, have voiced their opposition, citing concerns about the lack of publicly available data on the cars and their operations. Incidents involving driverless cars have increased in recent months, with reports of stopped vehicles without warning, running through stop signs, and blocking traffic. City agencies have been collecting their own incident reports to track the problems.

Cruise and Waymo claim that their vehicles have strong safety records, with fewer accidents than human drivers. They argue that the cars follow speed limits, adhere to regulations, and operate logically. They have also implemented measures to train emergency responders on how to engage with their driverless vehicles.

However, concerns have been raised about the tactics emergency responders are expected to use in dealing with stalled autonomous vehicles, which may be time-consuming and resource-intensive. The responsibility to prevent such incidents in the first place lies with the autonomous-vehicle companies, according to critics.

The decision made by the California Public Utilities Commission has faced criticism for its lack of transparency, with some questioning the objectivity of commissioner John Reynolds, who had previously worked for Cruise. Pressure was put on Reynolds to recuse himself from the decision.

The debate around autonomous vehicles and their expansion highlights the broader implications of technology on issues like public safety, urban infrastructure, accessibility, climate change, economic opportunity, surveillance, and policing.

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