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Just when it seemed like autonomous taxi services might be fading away, operators are making a strong comeback. A notable example is Cruise, the autonomous vehicle service owned by General Motors, which has recently formed a multi-year partnership with Uber.
In a press release, Cruise and Uber announced that starting next year, Cruise’s Chevrolet Bolt-based autonomous vehicles will be available through the Uber rideshare platform. However, the announcement lacked specifics regarding where these rides will be offered or what constitutes a “qualifying ride” request. Will it depend on the ride type (e.g., UberX, Uber Green), distance traveled, rider ratings, or if the account is for personal or business use? Questions abound, but there are no clear answers.
This partnership is a significant step for Cruise, which, as of June, is only allowed to operate supervised autonomous driving in three cities: Dallas, Houston, and Phoenix. The press release included optimistic quotes from executives that might come off as overly enthusiastic or perhaps even somewhat naive.
“We are excited to partner with Uber to bring the benefits of safe, reliable, autonomous driving to even more people, unlocking a new era of urban mobility,” stated Cruise CEO Marc Whitten.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi commented, “As the largest mobility and delivery platform, we believe Uber can play an important role in helping to safely and reliably introduce autonomous technology to consumers and cities around the world.”
When I think of robotaxis, feelings of annoyance, skepticism, anxiety, and even lawsuits come to mind. This is especially true for Canadians who have prohibited self-driving vehicles on public roads in British Columbia. Personally, I find it hard to associate autonomous vehicle services with reliability, safety, or trustworthiness. Headlines about Cruise and its competitor Waymo do little to change my perspective.
Even when I find myself at an intersection with an autonomous vehicle, I instinctively take a few steps back from the curb, waiting for it to pass before crossing. This is my typical approach while navigating the streets of San Francisco. There’s an undeniable discomfort; the perception that even pedestrians are at risk.
The concept of robotaxis evokes a sense of futuristic achievement, reminiscent of the Jetsons. However, in practice, they have only amazed a select few. A significant amount of public trust will need to be built before the robotaxi services can truly take off. As the saying goes, just because something is possible doesn’t mean it is advisable. Will regular Uber users be at ease with this new service? It will be intriguing to see how many choose to utilize the ride option once it becomes available in the app. Proceed with caution when taking a ride with Cruise.
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