Announcements from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) revealed that Uber lacked proper registrations as the vehicles were not declared acceptable for test driving. Meanwhile, the car service company assured that it had halted the production of their automatic cars and was working to manufacture vehicles that did not disrupt the order in California in any way.
Uber's Turn Around In SF?
After making their first appearance in Pittsburg, the autonomous cars were silently launched in San Francisco, where drivers were invited to test drive. As The Guardian noted, Uber clarified that no permits were required, confirming its state-of-art technology was enough for the safety and regulation.
Chaos soon ensued as the cars were spotted violating traffic signals etc. Defending itself, Uber boldly put the entire blame on the drivers and their carelessness, promising to inquire and suspend them. This led to further disapproval from the general public as well as the authorities who urged the company to accept its mistake and work in harmony with the regulations.
DMV In The Equation
DMV also made it clear that obtaining permits do not take much more than three days which makes it very feasible for Uber to get its vehicles tested and granted authorizations. Nevertheless, it is believed that Uber tries to avoid public inspection and inquiry, which is why it did not take licenses in the first place.
As IB Times said that despite the criticism for the vehicles, DMV strongly supports the production of these cars, explaining how it's trying its best to acquire a balance between the safety of the public, creativity and invention. However, the state mayor and a privacy project director both opposed the practice harshly due to the extreme threat it is posing to the safety and security of the public.
