The Chief of Police in the Californian City of San Francisco has backed the city’s fire chief in questioning the roll-out of driverless vehicles there.
Last week Fire Officer Jeanine Nicholson called for the “pause button to be pushed” on driverless use because of evidence they were getting in the way of fire trucks by driving into active emergency scenes and parking on a fire hose.
Now the Los Angeles Times says San Francisco’s police union has joined city officials in urging regulators to postpone a vote, scheduled for Thursday, on a measure that would allow Waymo, Cruise and other robotaxi companies to expand in San Francisco.
The San Francisco Police Officers Assn. has delivered a letter to the California Public Utilities Commission, which regulates driverless car operations in the state, asking that it “reconsider the agenda items” at its upcoming meeting and postpone a vote until the issue is addressed.
“While we all applaud the advancements in technology, we must not be in such a rush that we forget the human element and [that] … such technology unchecked can create dangerous situations,” the LA Times quotes union President Tracy McCray as saying.
(Picture – Waymo)
