Opinion: Get Waymos off our streets
After a successful 5 years of operation in Arizona, self-driving Waymos have returned to New York, having driven through the city in 2021 for weather data collection purposes.
Despite the novelty of self-driving cars, New York State and Governor Kathy Hochul must resist the deployment of Waymo’s autonomous cars, as they pose a significant threat to jobs and the unique culture of the city's cab system.
The city's 130,000 taxi and for-hire drivers face potential career loss if these robotaxis progress into the city, recalling the impact of Uber and Lyft's expansion in 2015, which outnumbered cabs 5.2 to 1.
New York City's roughly 130,000 taxi and for-hire drivers face almost certain career death if these robotaxis progress into the city.
Author's summary: Waymos threaten NYC jobs and culture.