Could Self-Driving Cars Suffer In California?

California state lawmakers have approved a bill that, if signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown, could spell serious trouble for the state’s nascent self-driving car industry.

The bill, AB 650, would centralize control of the taxi industry by transferring regulatory jurisdiction from every city in California (except San Francisco, which operates on a medallion system) to Sacramento, the state capital.

So instead of LA’s taxi commission overseeing that city’s taxi business, California’s Public Utilities Commission, which oversees the electric grid and hot air balloons, among other commercial carriers, would now have that authority. Supporters say this will help the traditional taxi industry better compete with upstarts like Uber and Lyft.

The Verge article here

Keywords

autonomous vehicles   California operators   California Public Utilities Commission   driverless cars   legislation   Lyft   self-driving vehicles   taxis   TNCs   Uber   

 

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