Today members of the New Orleans City Council will hear a presentation on driverless taxis, and what sort of legislation they might want to consider to protect citizens and ensure safety but also not shut the city off to growing technology.
The robo-taxi service known as Waymo has been testing a fleet of its vehicles in New Orleans for a few months, now. The council will have to consider how to regulate this emerging industry if it decides it wants to expand in the Crescent City.
Jennifer Dukarski, an attorney specializing in emerging automotive technology says some cities have fully embraced robo-taxis, while others have sought to restrict them to specific areas.
"But most of the regulations do take a look and consider that idea of safety," she says, "to make sure that there are ways that people can stay safe while they are taking these driverless cars."
And in New Orleans, that means taking into consideration some of the city's unique features: not just the narrow, pedestrian-filled streets of the French quarter, but also streets blocked by repair work, or even parades.
"Those are the areas people like to consider either certain speed limits that are different than the normal speed limit for those vehicles or even zoning them out," Dukarski said.
The trick, she says, is striking a balance that keeps residents and visitors safe, but doesn't completely shut out new business.
