Editor’s note: This story was updated to clarify the scope of the suspension.
Self-driving car company Waymo’s plans to expand its coverage area have been put in neutral by the California Public Utilities Commission.
According to KTVU, the CPUC suspended Waymo’s plans to expand its services in Los Angeles County and Silicon Valley for up to 120 days.
The commission asked for a staff review on the topic, and the commission’s hold on the project expires on June 19, according to The Verge.
San Mateo County Board of Supervisors Vice President David J. Canepa said in a statement to KTVU that Waymo has “stalled any meaningful discussions on its expansion plans,” so the company won’t be able to “test robotaxi service virtually unfettered both in San Mateo and Los Angeles counties.”
“This will provide the opportunity to fully engage the autonomous vehicle maker on our very real public safety concerns that have caused all kinds of dangerous situations for firefighters and police in neighboring San Francisco,” Canepa said.
In a letter to CPUC President Alice Busching Reynolds, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass highlighted incidents in San Francisco such as Waymo vehicles blocking firehouse driveways and parking on top of fire hoses.
Locally, a Waymo robotaxi initially failed to stop for a traffic officer in 2023, though no injuries were reported.
The company began offering rides late last year in parts of L.A. County, including Santa Monica, Century City, West Hollywood, Mid-City Koreatown and downtown L.A., according to the Los Angeles Times.
At that time, Bass asked the CPUC to authorize local regulation of self-driving vehicles.
“To date, local jurisdictions like Los Angeles have had little to no input in [autonomous vehicle] deployment and are already seeing significant harm and disruption,” she wrote.
A Waymo spokesperson told the Times that before expanding its service area, the company “reached out to stakeholders including county officials, local first responders, cities, bike coalitions and others,” the newspaper reported
“Our briefings included information on Waymo’s mission, experience and how our technology works,” the spokesperson said.