In a day and age where everything is becoming more technologically advanced, people are thinking about the future of self-driving taxis. This article will describe incidents that might cause fear and doubt in self-driving taxis, how they might play a pivotal role in the future of urban life, and what we can do about the future of these vehicles.
Self-driving taxis might soon be the new norm, especially in California. The state has just expanded two autonomous vehicle companies: Cruise and Waymo. These companies have raised concern for people because of several incidents that have occurred. A couple of months ago, after California approved the use of robotaxis, ten taxis suffered malfunctions on a busy street in San Francisco. This incident created lots of traffic spanning several streets during a music festival. Another article describes an incident that occurred later in the month. City officials have claimed that Cruise’s autonomous taxis caused a delay in an ambulance transporting a critically injured patient to the hospital, ultimately resulting in the patient’s tragic passing. These cases have raised many questions and concerns about the future and safety of self-driving taxis. One main problem right now in this particular stage is what kind of regulations and plans cities have that would be required before autonomous vehicles can be fully integrated into city roads worldwide.
Autonomous vehicles can only be integrated in cities with active plans and infrastructure to support the car. William Riggs, the director of the Autonomous Vehicles and the City Initiative at the University of San Francisco states how the future of self-driving vehicles could play a role in paving the way for “more multimodal cities.” This future will provide more space for pedestrians, cyclists, transit, and the use of human-operated private vehicles. The main challenge facing robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles is establishing trust and familiarity among the general public. The extent of success in this endeavor relies heavily on the company’s capacity to showcase the safety of these vehicles.
Robotaxis are being used more and more. Cruise is beginning to expand its rider base by accommodating additional individuals on its waitlist, which currently exceeds 100,000. Waymo is charging about $18 to $21 per ride, depending on the distance, which is comparable to Ubers, Yellow Taxis, and various local taxi services. Self-driving taxis will allow more adaptability for disabled passengers, reduce human error and crashes, and increase fuel efficiency. However, self-driving cars might cause more traffic, incidents, higher vulnerability to cyber attacks, and loss of jobs for thousands of people who make careers driving taxis.
We often feel unprepared for advanced technology because we are comfortable with how our life is currently. Self-driving taxis will likely become the norm in larger cities. We have the choice to either support or reject the use of these vehicles. Some things are certain, though, when it comes to self-driving taxis. One of them is that cities will need to develop the proper infrastructure to support self-driving taxis and establish active plans to engage in any malfunctions these vehicles might encounter. With many other major technological shifts in society, like smartphones, this transition will bring challenges and opportunities. Staying informed, remaining open to change, and actively participating in shaping the future of transportation are essential for self-driving taxis to become an integral part of our urban landscape.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.