San Francisco officials back robotaxi federal bill following Waymo incidents

San Francisco officials are backing a federal bill that calls for stricter regulations over autonomous vehicles following several incidents involving Waymo vehicles during major events in the city. Mayor Daniel Lurie and fire department Chief David Crispen are backing a bill by Representative Kevin Mullin that would require robotaxi companies to better communicate with first responders during emergencies. Mullin announced the AV Emergency Response Coordination Act at a press conference on Tuesday, joined by Lurie, Crispen, the city's top transportation chief Julie Kirschbaum, and San Francisco County Transportation Authority Executive Director Tilly Chang. The bill would require companies such as Waymo and Zoox to establish a 24/7 hotline for public officials to contact the companies during incidents or emergencies involving the companies' vehicles. It would also allow local officials to issue geofencing notices to robotaxi companies to avoid certain areas during emergencies or major events.