Waymo Robotaxis Accumulated 589 Parking Violations Over One Year | Carscoops

      Despite Waymo's assertion that its vehicles are adept at preventing traffic obstruction, they have accrued close to $65,000 in parking fines.

      In 2024, Waymo's robotaxis were penalized $65,065 for 589 parking infractions in San Francisco.

      Data shows that 138 of these violations were related to non-compliance with street cleaning regulations.

      Last year, the company’s robotaxis also faced 75 fines while operating in Los Angeles.

      The premise of robotaxis is to provide convenient, safe, and efficient transportation; however, it appears that Waymo’s vehicles in San Francisco have developed a tendency for a less favorable trait—parking violations. The fleet of autonomous cars has managed to accumulate a significant number of fines.

      According to information from the city’s Municipal Transportation Agency, Waymo vehicles received 589 parking tickets in just 2024, leading to fines amounting to $65,065. There are over 300 Waymo vehicles functioning in San Francisco, and as of last September, they have traveled more than 10 million miles on the city's roads.

      Parking Fines: A Robotaxi’s Unexpected Feature

      The Washington Post reports that a substantial portion of these violations, specifically 138, were due to disregarding street cleaning rules, while 134 were for blocking traffic. Additionally, there were 77 tickets for parking in unauthorized areas and 74 for double parking. To add to this, Waymo robotaxis were also fined 75 times in Los Angeles last year, indicating that this issue is not confined to San Francisco.

      One parking control officer in the city, Sterling Haywood, noted that he issued a ticket to a Waymo vehicle after observing it parked for several hours in a space meant for street cleaning. While this may not seem significant, Michael Brooks, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, warns that if a robotaxi hinders traffic flow, it could elevate the likelihood of accidents, potentially forcing other motorists to swerve or brake abruptly.

      Waymo’s Position: Safety First (with Parking as a Secondary Concern)

      Waymo argues that its Jaguar I-Pace models are designed to identify parking spaces and recognize if they are obstructing traffic. However, they may pause in commercial loading zones to drop off a passenger “if the only other options are a congested main road or a location much farther from the rider’s destination.”

      According to Waymo spokesperson Ethan Teicher, the vehicles aim to make “the safest option possible” during the brief period they spend picking up or dropping off passengers, which seems to be when most parking tickets are issued.

      While the intention for the robotaxis is enhanced safety, not all residents in San Francisco appreciate the Waymo cars. In February of last year, one of the company’s robotaxis was set ablaze by vandals during the Lunar New Year festivities. Additionally, the vehicles can be quite bothersome, like when multiple cars congregated in a city parking lot, honking their horns in the dead of night.

      Therefore, even though the robotaxi movement is designed to simplify life, it appears there is still a considerable journey ahead before these autonomous vehicles can operate without issues.