Lyft, Uber Drivers Protest Waymo Robotaxis in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO — Drivers for Lyft and Uber gathered outside the California Public Utilities Commission's offices on Friday to protest the expansion of Waymo's self-driving taxis, calling for stricter state oversight amid a series of incidents involving the autonomous vehicles.

About two dozen drivers and supporters held signs and spoke out, demanding safer streets and greater accountability for robotaxis. The demonstration coincided with a commission meeting focused on refining regulations for autonomous vehicles, an industry that has proliferated in San Francisco. A continuous flow of Waymo's white Jaguar I-Pace vehicles passed by the site, highlighting their increasing presence on city roads.

The protesters, many of whom rely on ride-hailing for their livelihoods, expressed frustration over what they see as unequal standards for human drivers versus autonomous ones. "I personally am not against technology; what I am against is unfair treatment," said Joseph Augusto, a driver for both Lyft and Uber. "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."