In a captivating aerial view, Chevrolet Cruise autonomous vehicles are parked in a designated area in San Francisco, California, on June 8, 2023. Cruise and Waymo, two autonomous vehicle companies, have been conducting tests of their vehicles in San Francisco, and it seems that the city’s residents are not pleased with the problems that these cars have brought along.
Image: Justin Sullivan | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Cruise has received a directive from the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to decrease its robotaxi fleet by 50% in San Francisco, as reported by CNBC.
This decision follows a series of crashes involving Cruise autonomous vehicles in San Francisco this week, where the self-driving cars experienced issues at intersections, including a collision with a fire truck on Thursday night.
For Cruise, a subsidiary of General Motors, this reduction poses a setback. The company had recently launched a paid robotaxi service in San Francisco after receiving permission, along with Alphabet’s Waymo, to expand driverless operations and offer round-the-clock transportation for paying passengers throughout the city. Cruise currently operates with a waitlist.
This situation further illuminates the ongoing debate in San Francisco surrounding driverless cars. Critics argue that they pose safety risks and hinder firefighters and other first responders, while proponents assert that they bring innovation and will ultimately reduce transportation costs and improve convenience in the city.
“The DMV is actively investigating recent concerning incidents involving Cruise vehicles in San Francisco,” said a representative from the DMV. “We are in contact with Cruise and law enforcement officials to ascertain the facts. We have requested that Cruise immediately reduce its active fleet of operating vehicles by 50% until the investigation is complete and appropriate corrective measures are taken to enhance road safety.”
The reduction plan has been accepted by Cruise, whereby the company will operate a maximum of 50 autonomous vehicles during the day and 150 during the evening. In August, Cruise disclosed that it was deploying 300 cars at night and 100 during the day.
Cruise has yet to provide a comment outside of their business hours, according to a company spokesperson.
In a blog post published on Friday night, Greg Dietrerich, the San Francisco general manager of Cruise, addressed the incident involving a Cruise vehicle and firetruck on Thursday. Dietrerich pointed out that several factors contributed to the incident, including obstructed views caused by buildings at the intersection. He also claimed that the firetruck had been driving in the wrong lane, attempting to bypass a red light.
“We will continue working alongside regulators and city departments to minimize the likelihood of incidents like these from reoccurring in the future,” wrote Dietrerich.
In the past week, Cruise’s fleet has been involved in multiple incidents that garnered media attention. Apart from the collision with a firetruck, one Cruise vehicle reportedly got stuck in concrete, and an autonomous vehicle carrying a passenger was struck by another driver. According to Cruise, the driver who caused the accident had run a red light. Additionally, a substantial number of Cruise vehicles experienced technical issues, resulting in traffic congestion outside an outdoor music festival last weekend.
— Contribution by Lora Kolodny, CNBC
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