Seven Waymo robotaxis blocked the traffic around the Potrero Avenue 101 on-ramp in San Francisco, as seen on a video uploaded on Reddit.
The company confirmed the incident and explained that it immediately dispatched Roadside Assistance to manually retrieve the vehicles.
(Photo : Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
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Waymo Robotaxis' Jam Result to Traffic in San Francisco
According to a report, the first Waymo taxi hit the road closure and pulled out of the traffic lane which was originally blocked by cones. Six other Waymo vehicles followed its path, leading to a blockage caused by the robotaxis.
In a Reddit post, it was visible that the robotaxis were lined up in a road closure with traffic cones. According to Waymo, the vehicles are on their way back to the city's depot during the evening of the incident.
Some drivers had to get out of their cars and take the initiative to move the cones out of the way since it was the only way to pass both the road closure and the stuck Waymos. California regulators recently approved the company's operation on freeways without human assistance but the company is still testing the road with a human driver.
Waymo Handles Freeway Incident Immediately
Waymo explained that once they were informed of the situation, they quickly dispatched their Roadside Assistance team to resolve the issues. The company also stated that the whole incident did not last longer than 30 minutes.
On the other hand, this was not an isolated case from the Waymo vehicles. Previously, other Waymo vehicles were reported for road blockage. Other residents from San Fransisco had voiced their concern about the push towards robotaxis due to their potential to cause traffic jams.
According to some officials and responders, robotaxis are complicated to access and move during such incidents. In San Francisco, a driver's presence is a must before they can order to issue a traffic citation.
As for Waymo, the company assured that they are prioritizing safety and the gradual release of rider-only operations on the freeway in Arizona before pushing it to California.
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