Waymo's robot taxis have collected $65,000 in fines in San Francisco alone

Waymo, the leader among autonomous taxis in the US, has a problem with traffic regulations. In 2024, their unmanned Jaguar I-Pace EVs received 589 fines totalling $65,065 in San Francisco alone. The cars blocked traffic, parked in prohibited places and interfered with street cleaning.

Here's What We Know

According to The Washington Post, Waymo also received 75 fines in Los Angeles last year, of which $543 is still outstanding. The problem is that the robotaxis don't always correctly identify car parks and may stop briefly in commercial zones to drop off passengers. They also don't respond to inspectors who try to "explain" the rules to them.

One San Francisco parking inspector told reporters that he tried to "ask" Waymo robotaxi to vacate the space, honked twice, but the car did not move. A $96 fine had to be issued.

Waymo assures that it always pays fines and is actively working on updates that will help robotaxis better navigate parking nuances. The unmanned Jaguars can detect if they're blocking traffic and recognise parking spaces, but they can sometimes stop briefly in a commercial loading zone to drop off passengers. In between trips, the robotaxi can "briefly park" if it is too far from a Waymo car park.

Source: The Washington Post