DRIVERLESS CARS


PROTESTERS CALL FOR SHUTDOWN OF ROBOTAXIS IN FRONT OF CRUISE’S SAN FRANCISCO HQ


Protesters gathered outside Cruise’s San Francisco head- quarters on September 4, calling for its shutdown to protect workers. The protest also comes after the San Francisco Fire Department claimed two robotaxis impeded an ambulance in August, which was carrying a patient who later died. When organisers tried to speak out in front of the Cruise location, loud music began playing. However, it stopped after someone talked to security from Cruise. Uber driver Edward Escobar, from the Alliance


for Independent Workers, organised the Labour Day


It’s being dictated by the tech titans; Waymo,


which is


Google, and General Motors, which is Cruise. And they’re pretty much dictating the terms, and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is allowing


protest to convey their concerns about the potential impact of robotaxis on their jobs. “There isn’t any dialogue hap- pening. It’s pretty much one-sided.


CONCERNS RAISED OVER FLYING TAXI PLANS FOR PARIS 2024


The company behind plans to launch flying taxis during next year’s Olympics in Paris has been urged to “reconsider the scope of the project” due to concerns over the impact on the environment. France’s Environmental Authority (EA) has called on airport operator Groupe ADP, which is leading the project,


to make changes after


ruling that its impact study was “incomplete”. There are plans for the electrically- powered, Volocopter vehicles to be used during the Games but they have yet to receive certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency to allow them to be put into operation. Groupe ADP is running the project along with German aircraft manufacturer Volocopter and the Île-de-France region.


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According to a report from French newspaper Le Monde, the EA has urged Groupe ADP to “reconsider the scope of the project and the analysis of its effects to fully appreciate the consequences on the affected populations and the possible impact on the natural environment”. The authority also ruled that “the impact study, focused on a few aspects, is incomplete by choice of the project owner, who limits the scope of its analysis to the sole operation of implementing the platform on the river”. Other concerns expressed by the EA included “acoustic” level and “visual pollution”. “The project also presents challenges in terms of security and safety for the populations being flown over,” the EA added.


that to happen,” Escobar said. Cruise, however, insists that it is taking steps to protect workers through partnerships with local labour unions. The company said: “Cruise was proud to sign industry-first jobs agreements with local labour - IBEW Local 6 and SEIU Local 87 whose workers will install chargers and support our facilities across San Francisco.”


Cruise also highlighted its com- mitment to the community by emphasising that the construction of a major EV charging facility on Cesar Chavez Street was carried out by 100% Bay Area union labour. It included electricians, carpenters, and ironworkers, representing over 100 jobs. Despite these efforts, Escobar remains deeply concerned about the future of drivers like himself. “We’re looking at automation, self- driving technology in the new age of AI and looking at permanent displacement of many workers. “If you look at transport workers alone in the state of California, UC Berkeley came out with a study, and they said that approximately 600,000-plus transport workers in California will be displaced.”


OCTOBER 2023 PHTM


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