New York City welcomes robotaxis — but only with safety drivers

New York City announced a new permitting system for companies interested in testing autonomous vehicles on its roads, including a requirement that a human safety driver sit behind the steering wheel at all times.

As cities like San Francisco continue to grapple with the problems posed by fully driverless for-hire vehicles, New York City is trying to get ahead of the problem by outlining what it calls “a rigorous permitting program” that it claims will ensure applicants …

autonomous autonomous vehicles cities city companies driver drivers getty human image new york city roads robotaxis safety san francisco testing vehicles