There’s growing momentum in the fight to protect our streets, our jobs, and our communities from the unchecked expansion of autonomous vehicles. In a major development, New York has pulled back its plan to expand driverless vehicles across the state, stopping Waymo and other tech companies from operating robotaxis in places outside New York City.
For months, JFAW members have been sounding the alarm about what the expansion of driverless technology really means:
- The threat of lost jobs for hundreds of thousands of drivers
- Safety risks in complex urban areas
- Even worse congestion on crowded city streets
- No accountability when things go wrong
New York lawmakers listened, and this decision reflects what we’ve been saying all along: our concerns are real, and they can’t be ignored.
We’re still organizing and speaking out, because we also know that this is not the end of this fight. Waymos are still being tested in New York City and continue to appear in cities across the country. New incidents involving autonomous vehicles are being reported all the time, and raise serious questions about the safety, reliability, and readiness of this technology.
There’s a lot more work to do to protect our communities and our jobs, but policymakers are starting to listen. Together, we’ll continue to fight for safe streets, better working conditions, and a future where workers come first.
We are app workers. We built this industry, and we’ll be part of the conversation every step of the way.