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The California Department of Motor Vehicles has suspended the pilot program of Cruise, a self-driving car technology unit of General Motors, following concerns over a series of accidents and incidents.
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| The scene of the accident caused by Cruise's driverless taxi. Photo: San Francisco Chronicle |
"When there are safety concerns for the public, we may immediately suspend or revoke an operating license," the California Department of Motor Vehicles said in a statement. A few weeks ago, an accident occurred in San Francisco, California, involving a Cruise robot taxi. On October 24, Cruise temporarily suspended its service after the agency issued a notice suspending its operating license.
The agency also said that Cruise must take steps to be re-licensed for its robotaxi service. The suspension does not affect Cruise’s “human-on-board” autonomous car service to ensure safety.
In August, state regulators approved the expansion of driverless taxi services in San Francisco, paving the way for rival self-driving car companies Cruise and Waymo (owned by Alphabet) to compete in the ride-hailing and taxi business.
When it first launched in San Francisco in 2014, California required that driverless cars operating in the city be operated by a “human driver” to operate the vehicle safely. Four years later, the state repealed that requirement. However, the service has faced criticism that the robot taxis often stop unexpectedly, blocking traffic and other emergency vehicles.
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Cruise's driverless taxi caused an accident in early October 2023. Photo: San Francisco Chronicle |
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