California regulators have suspended Waymo's request to expand its robotaxi services in the state pending "further staff review," according to a notice posted on the state Public Utilities Commission's website.
In January, Waymo requested permission from the commission to expand paid robotaxi services beyond San Francisco and into parts of San Mateo, Santa Clara and Los Angeles counties.
The commission suspended Waymo's expansion request through June 19, according to the notice. The regulatory agency hadn't posted any documents explaining why it decided to suspend the request as of Wednesday morning.
However, the suspension comes after a series of accidents involving Waymo's vehicles.
Waymo recently issued a voluntary recall of its software after two of its vehicles crashed into a pickup truck in Phoenix, and the company has said it updated the software for its entire fleet.
Another Waymo vehicle collided with a cyclist in San Francisco on Feb. 6, Reuters reported.
And on Feb. 10, a Waymo vehicle without any passengers inside was vandalized and then lit on fire in San Francisco.
“Since Waymo has stalled any meaningful discussions on its expansion plans into Silicon Valley, the CPUC has put the brakes on its application to test robotaxi service virtually unfettered both in San Mateo and Los Angeles counties,” San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa said in a statement. “This will provide the opportunity to fully engage the autonomous vehicle maker on our very real public safety concerns that have caused all kinds of dangerous situations for firefighters and police in neighboring San Francisco.”
Earlier this month, San Mateo County officially protested Waymo's expansion plans in a letter submitted to the CPUC, citing a lack of communication and a need to better assess Waymo's plans.
"Though Waymo’s Advice Letter suggests it has engaged in outreach with local governments and other stakeholders on the Peninsula, I don’t believe that this engagement has meaningfully included the County of San Mateo," an attorney for the county wrote in its protest letter. "This is a matter that has potential to be controversial and it does, in fact, raise important policy considerations."
The Los Angeles Department of Transportation also filed an official protest of Waymo's request to expand.
"The City of Los Angeles and LADOT continue to be optimistic about advancements in transportation technology that have the potential to increase mobility options for all, and we support innovation that will make Los Angeles a center of transportation technology businesses and jobs," the protest letter from LADOT said. "However, we remain concerned that Waymo’s unimpeded service expansion without local consultation, collaboration, and oversight will undermine the goals of the Consumer Protection and Enforcement Division goals and may cause harm to Angelenos and the City of Los Angeles."
The San Francisco County Transportation Authority also filed a letter in support of those requests from San Mateo and Los Angeles officials. It also called for a formal hearing, rather than a quick review, and said the commission was moving too quickly without "appropriately considering the public safety impacts" or going through a proper environmental review.
Waymo declined to comment.
On Monday, a coalition in San Francisco called on Gov. Gavin Newsom to ban robotaxis in California, including vehicles from Waymo and Cruise, the San Francisco Standard reported.
