Could Minnesotans soon see driverless taxis on the road?
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The future of self-driving taxis may still seem far away but it's already a reality in California and Texas, among other states.
And the company behind this driverless “robotaxi” service, Waymo, is taking steps to potentially expand to Minnesota.
Torey Van Oot with Axios Twin Cities reports Waymo has hired lobbyists to explore the possibility of changing state laws to allow for the operation of autonomous vehicles. Current statute requires at least one person be on board, who could take over if needed.
Any changes wouldn’t be determined until the legislative session, which begins in February, but Van Oot said the co-chairs of the state House transportation committee have already expressed willingness to having conversations about it next year.
There is likely to be opposition from unionized rideshare drivers, however.
“They’re concerned about the safety and they’re concerned about job displacement,” Van Oot said. “So, this could evolve to be a bigger fight at the Capitol.”
For the full conversation, click play on the audio player above.
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