On Friday night, Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris' motorcade was briefly disrupted by self-driving taxis from Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL), in San Francisco. The incident occurred as Harris was returning from a fundraiser.
What Happened: The first Waymo taxi was unable to complete a U-turn, causing Harris's motorcade to stop. Traffic accumulated behind the stalled vehicle until a police officer stepped in and drove it away. ABC7 News reported that a second Waymo robotaxi also caused delays for the vice president's journey.
Self-driving taxis are a common sight in San Francisco, but they have faced criticism from locals. Earlier this year, a Waymo vehicle was set on fire by a mob. Other incidents involving self-driving cars include collisions with telephone poles and driving on the wrong side of the road.
The timing of this incident is significant as the U.S. presidential election is just over a month away.
Lauren Martinez, an ABC7 News reporter shared a video clip of the Waymo self-driving taxi incident on X.
Waymo did not immediately respond to Benzinga's request for comment.
HAPPENING NOW: A driverless @Waymo gets stuck making a u-turn as @VP's motorcade arrived at the Fairmont S.F.
— LaurenABC7 (@LaurenABC7) September 28, 2024
An SFPD officer had to manually drive the vehicle out. We're hearing this wasn't the only one... @abc7newsbayarea pic.twitter.com/uCdiTf9lbB
Why It Matters: Waymo, has been expanding its robotaxi service rapidly. Recently, the company announced it had doubled its weekly paid rides to 100,000 in just three months. This milestone highlights the growing presence of Waymo's autonomous vehicles in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix.
However, the expansion has not been without issues. Waymo's self-driving cars have been involved in several incidents, including disturbances caused by honking in a San Francisco parking lot and technical problems leading to longer wait times for rides.
Despite these challenges, Waymo continues to innovate. The company recently introduced its sixth-generation hardware, which includes advanced sensors designed to improve performance in various weather conditions. This new system aims to enhance the safety and reliability of Waymo's autonomous vehicles.
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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Kaustubh Bagalkote
