A decentralized group of safe streets activists in San Francisco has found they can disable Cruise and Waymo robo-taxis by placing cones on a vehicle’s hood. They ask people to do the same. It is the so-called “Cone Campaign”.
The group, which has dubbed this now-viral prank on Twitter and TikTok “cone week,” is protesting the spread of robotaxi services in the city. It seems to resonate with residents who are fed up with vehicle malfunctions and traffic blockages. The protest comes amid a hearing over Waymo and Cruise’s service expansion in San Francisco.
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is expected to approve this expansion of both Cruise and Waymo’s autonomous passenger services in San Francisco on July 13. The agency doesn’t give companies permission to operate their autonomous vehicles on public roads — that’s under the jurisdiction of the Department of Motor Vehicles. However, it grants the companies the power to charge a fee for the transport service.
In May, the CPUC released drafts approving the expansion, despite growing opposition from city officials and the public. Opponents criticized the array of autonomous vehicles that have disrupted traffic, public transit and emergency vehicles, and called on the CPUC to act cautiously, set up workshops, collect more data, deploy robotic taxis in the city center and during rush hours ban and limit fleet size.
Other voices, such as those of the San Francisco Taxi Workers Alliance and the Alliance for Independent Workers, fear that this development will result in job losses.
The Safe Street Rebels’ “Cone Campaign” aims to raise awareness and get more disgruntled San Francisco people to submit public comments to the CPUC ahead of next week’s hearing. This is possible with all US legislative projects. The criticism is not only directed at the deterioration in road safety blockade of roads or emergency vehicles. It’s also about a fear of surveillance qua vehicle sensors and the fear of Reduction of public transport.
The fears are based on actual points. There were difficulties with blockades and rescue workers. Also that the technology already People- and a dog life had cost. There was also cooperation between Waymo and the police because of the sensor data. In addition, the population is seen as guinea pigs on which the technology is tried out.
The group is therefore urging people to gently place the pylons on the hood of an autonomous car. From Waymo’s point of view, this is vandalism. We will therefore work together with the authorities in this regard and call for criminal prosecution. That’s where the fun ends and the vehicles have a large number of sensors.
Cruise feels wrongly accused. After all, a lot is being done for people with disabilities, safe, disposable food is being provided for the poor and road safety is being increased. The Cone campaign would affect this. According to the US media, it is unlikely that the campaign will be successful with the CPUC.