An alarming event took place in San Francisco’s Chinatown district on Saturday night, as an enraged crowd set fire to a Waymo robotaxi.
An incident occurred around 9pm on Jackson Street near Grant Avenue, where a disruptive crowd gathered around a self-driving vehicle, causing damage to its windows and eventually setting it on fire using fireworks.
There were no passengers present in the vehicle during the incident, and thankfully, no injuries were reported.
Although there were no casualties, the incident has generated significant worry and conjecture about the underlying reasons for the sudden eruption.
The exact chain of events that led to the destruction is still uncertain.
Video footage that went viral on social media showed a crowd of people gathering around the Waymo robotaxi.
Mayor Karen Bass Raises Safety Alarms on Robotaxis
In November, Mayor Karen Bass expressed her concerns about the safety of robotaxis and called for increased regulatory scrutiny.
She also emphasized the importance of the city having a say in the regulations surrounding these vehicles.
During that incident, she mentioned that a Waymo driverless car in Los Angeles did not initially stop for a traffic officer at Beaudry Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard on Aug. 3, 2023.
The officer was directing traffic to come to a stop in both directions.
No injuries have been reported.
Since then, union and local officials have been increasing the pressure on the company. In a recent event, the leader of the city’s firefighters union joined other local officials on the steps of City Hall to support legislation introduced by California state Sen. Dave Cortese (D-San José).
This legislation aims to grant local officials increased authority over autonomous vehicles.
Cortese expressed his concerns regarding the vehicles’ compliance with local laws and the potential threat they pose to workers.
