California Uber and Lyft drivers protest Waymo taxis,

California Uber and Lyft drivers protest Waymo taxis,

Drivers for Lyft and Uber protested self-driving Waymo taxis in San Francisco on Friday, urging state regulators to exercise higher oversight of autonomous automobiles, given current occasions by which the vehicles killed pets and blocked site visitors.

About two dozen drivers and supporters spoke or held up indicators calling for safer streets and higher accountability outdoors the places of work of the California Public Utilities Commission, which met Friday to think about additional rules on autonomous automobiles.

There was roughly two dozen drivers and supporters holding up indicators outdoors the California Public Utilities Commission. AP

A gradual stream of Waymo vehicles drove past the protest, a testomony to the rising ubiquity of the white vehicles in San Francisco.

“I personally am not against technology; what I am against is unfair treatment,” said Joseph Augusto, who drives for each Uber and Lyft. “We have these people, these companies, these autonomous vehicle companies who are driving around the city, and they don’t seem to be held to the same standards as us drivers.”

The California Public Utilities Commission, which regulates Uber and Lyft, is refining and increasing insurance policies round autonomous robotaxis as the business grows.

The California Gig Workers Union says the automobiles needs to be faraway from streets until security considerations are addressed.

A Waymo robotaxi drives alongside The Embarcadero on December 08, 2025 in San Francisco, California. Getty Images

The California Gig Workers Union says Waymo automobiles needs to be faraway from streets until security considerations are addressed. AP

The state company said it had no touch upon the protest.

A spokesperson for Waymo, which is owned by Google’s dad or mum company, Alphabet, said Waymo “is on a mission to be the world’s most trusted driver, making it safe, more accessible and more sustainable for riders to get around.”

Hobbled Waymos blocked San Francisco streets during a mass energy outage days before Christmas, forcing the company to pause service and elevating questions about the vehicles’ ability to adapt to real-world driving circumstances.

In September, a Waymo pulled an unlawful U-turn in entrance of an indication telling drivers to not do that, however San Bruno police couldn’t issue a ticket because there was no human driver.

A gradual stream of Waymo vehicles drove past the protest, a testomony to the rising ubiquity of the white vehicles in San Francisco. AP

In October, a Waymo crushed a preferred neighborhood cat named Kit Kat.

Augusto, the driver, said he noticed Waymos stalled at intersections as people darted round them on Dec. 20 when the lights went out across San Francisco.

“There were a lot of Waymos around. Just randomly all over the city and there’s no plan,” he said.

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