Waymo’s Robotaxis Rack Up $65K in Parking Fines in 2024

SAN FRANCISCO, California — Waymo‘s autonomous robotaxis have racked up 589 parking citations in San Francisco, amounting to $65,065 in fines throughout 2024, as reported by The Washington Post. The violations include parking in prohibited zones, obstructing traffic, and disobeying street cleaning restrictions.

Waymo, which operates 300 fully autonomous vehicles in the city, stated that these parking infractions represent less than 1% of the total 1.2 million parking tickets issued citywide last year. The company has been expanding its robotaxi service, allowing all residents access since June following a limited sign-up phase.

In addition to the fines in San Francisco, Waymo’s vehicles received 75 parking tickets in Los Angeles, where the robotaxi service began offering limited commercial rides in April and expanded to the general public in November. According to records from the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, there are still outstanding fines totaling $543.

Waymo noted that many of these violations occur during the vehicle’s idle periods while picking up or dropping off passengers. “Our vehicles are designed to take the safest action available during these moments,” a spokesperson for Waymo told The Washington Post.

The issue underscores the ongoing challenges faced by autonomous vehicles, particularly regarding compliance with local traffic laws. Incidents like collisions involving autonomous cars have raised public safety concerns and criticism from first responders, complicating the rollout of self-driving technology.

Despite these obstacles, Waymo continues to garner interest in its services and has expanded operations to other parts of California including Mountain View, Los Altos, Palo Alto, and parts of Sunnyvale. The company has also announced plans to launch in Austin, Texas, and is looking to expand further.