The Arrival of Robotaxis in Chicago

The primary concern for LegalRideshare is how companies will be held accountable when things go wrong [06:02].

If you are a passenger, another driver, or a gig worker involved in an accident with a Waymo in Chicago, the speakers recommend the following:

FULL TRANSCRIPTION:

JARED HOFFA
[00:00:00] Ladies and gentlemen, drivers, gig workers, and everyone in between, welcome to This Week in Ride Share podcast. I'm your host, Jared Hoffa. It is Friday, uh, February 27th, and this week we are talking everything robotaxis, and as always, LegalRideshare breaks it down.

[00:00:26] And from LegalRideshare, I'm joined by the co-founder and lead attorney, Bryant Greening. Bryant, happy Friday.

BRYANT GREENING
[00:00:33] Happy Friday, Jared. Great to be back and excited to talk about robotaxis. There's a lot of big news coming out, uh, nationwide and particularly locally here in Chicago, so I'm excited to get going.

JARED HOFFA
[00:00:44] Yeah, you know, last time we were talking to Torsten, we ran out of time to talk about this and, you know, it's obviously vital. And just like you said, you know, we're talking about robotaxis specifically today because especially in Illinois, they're mapping.

[00:00:57] So, Waymo is approaching Chicago, Illinois. So it's now hitting the Midwest. It is here. So I thought it'd be a good time to discuss the ins and outs, the good and bads, the gray areas of robotaxis, and just help people understand where they're at, where the dangers are, and, you know, really what to expect. And I think a lot of this information is not out yet. Uh, as we saw, I believe yesterday, the Tribune, you know, posted kind of the first article saying, “Hey, they're coming. There's a lot of questions in Springfield.” And so let's — let's dive in.

JARED HOFFA
[00:01:28] Uh, you know, the first thing is, you know, what do you hear on your end as far as drivers and who you've talked to? What is sort of the current mood about the Waymos as far as passenger drivers? Are you hearing anything in particular?

BRYANT GREENING
[00:01:39] Yeah, so we talk to drivers and passengers all the time, um, and we have contacts nationwide, so we have our finger on the pulse, I think, in terms of, uh, how people are feeling about this new technology. Um, on the passenger side, it seems like there's a lot of excitement. Seems like people are ready to try the new technology. Um, we've already seen stories where people are willing to actually pay more for the, uh, robo-taxi experience. Um, so, you know, this is, I think, welcomed in — in the rider community.

[00:02:11] Um, as it relates to the drivers, it's — it's much more complicated and I think they really see, uh, AVs as a threat to the industry. They see their jobs at risk. Um, and ultimately, the companies, I — I think, have been clear that the long-term goal is to replace drivers with robotaxis and transform ride share into a completely autonomous experience. Uh, I don't think that's going to be anytime in the immediate near future, but long term, that's the goal and — and that's, I think, where drivers are pretty anxious.

JARED HOFFA
[00:02:51] Yeah, and we've, you know, we've always talked about robotaxis in general, but we are even seeing a shift from novelty to reality. And a lot of this is what you had just talked about. You know, there was an article which I have — I pulled up here from Business Insider that's showcasing, you know, one of the things about Waymo has always been, “Well, it's — it's so much more expensive than, you know, an Uber or Lyft driver,” so, you know, Uber and Lyft drivers are safe.

[00:03:13] But this Business Insider article from just a couple weeks ago is showing that gap is seriously closing already. Uh, and so what we're seeing now is, like you said, it seems like the passenger side is very excited, um, but now it's not just excitement on a novelty; it's excitement on “This is actually becoming affordable,” or soon to be affordable. And so what does that mean for drivers now? Um, so we're seeing this sort of shift, um, and we're seeing frustrations and rightfully so.

[00:03:45] You know, and as usual, um, you know, a lot of the big ride share companies are being not too transparent about their ultimate goals, uh, on what they — what they want to do. So, uh, I understand, you know, in terms of the vibe of — of really what's happening with robotaxis, there's — there's frustration, there's uncertainty, and then on — on the other side, there's excitement, right?

BRYANT GREENING
[00:04:03] Yeah, we'll — we'll see how quickly things change, but ultimately, I — I think that this excitement on the consumer base is going to be driving the ride share companies' decisions. Uh, not to mention them being extremely cost-effective when the technology is — is ultimately perfected. If they don't have to pay the driver and they can have a vehicle on the road all the time, perhaps an electric vehicle who they don't have to gas up all the time, it's going to be much cheaper, uh, to put rides, you know, on the streets to complete those rides for the passengers. And, uh, I think the companies see a real opportunity to pad their pockets by getting rid of a lot of the operating costs while perhaps even making a cheaper experience for the passengers. So the drivers are going to be the ones that get squeezed out while the companies are making a ton of money and — and the passengers are perhaps having an even cheaper experience.

JARED HOFFA
[00:04:56] Yeah, and we're, you know, one thing — one of the things we're really seeing right now, too, is, you know, there seems to be a lot of gray areas in legal issues and again, uncertainty, you know, just in general about how these operate. Uh, and you and I have discussed in length about, you know, the idea of, again, disrupting the ride share market, although this time there is no course-correcting with the human. If something goes wrong, it really goes wrong. Uh, you know, I'm sure you saw the article — I think this came out a week or two ago, maybe even less — where they're now hiring gig workers to shut the doors for Waymos because they're not shutting or opening them because they're not doing it. Uh, we — we just saw recently that New York is straight up refusing robotaxis.

[00:05:47] So my question to you is, at this moment, what are the obvious, you know, gray areas or legal issues just in general over the whole robo-taxi Waymo experience?

BRYANT GREENING
[00:05:55] Well, the biggest one that we're concerned about is safety and what happens when things do go wrong. So as with any technology, any transportation, there are going to be events, there are going to be accidents, there's going to be injuries, there's going to be fatalities. It's a fact of life. Um, I don't care how safe these vehicles are, I don't care if they're quote-unquote “perfect” sometime down the line, things happen.

[00:06:21] And when these — these tragedies and casualties and bodily injuries occur, we want to know how are the companies going to be held accountable. In a traditional car accident, we — we know exactly what happens. We know the tort law, uh, in place is going to make this an insurance claim where the at-fault, uh, driver, um, has to pay for the damages, usually through their insurance policy, where people's medical bills get covered, people's lost wages get covered, pain and suffering is taken care of.

[00:07:01] In these situations, there is no driver there. We — we don't know exactly who is going to be found negligent or responsible for a crash. And that question is really very important because if we don't know who to hold accountable, then we don't know how people who are injured are going to be made whole. Um, there are two paths that I really see, uh, in the future and we're going to have to choose one.

[00:07:22] One: are we going to treat these accidents just like every other car accident and have these vehicles insured, um, you know, through a regular insurance policy, and if they are involved in an accident, then the — the injured person is just going to be able to go down that path as we all know?

[00:07:39] Alternatively: are these going to be treated as different types of events where they're products liability, the technology failed, the vehicle was defective? And those are much different claims, much more costly claims to litigate, and ultimately much harder for people to recover damages from. So, I — if we go down that path, if these are treated as products liability claims, injured people are going to have a very difficult time being made whole by the — the injuries that were caused by these cars. So that was a — a long-winded answer, but that's really where I'm concerned in terms of the legality and — and legal issues that are coming up with these vehicles, where policy needs to be decided right away before these cars hit the street so that we know how injured people are going to be made whole when safety is — is not effectuated and the system has failed.

JARED HOFFA
[00:08:30] Which really brings me — this brings me to my next question here, and I think the most crucial especially for LegalRideshare is, you know, if I'm a passenger in a Waymo and I'm injured in Chicago, what do I do? Because as you said, it's a little bit different now. There's no driver. It's a different situation. What should a passenger do who's injured in — in a Waymo in Chicago?

[00:08:58] Well, the first thing you should do is call us so that you can have a free consultation as to how to handle the event. Um, we need to make sure that we're gathering all the evidence that we can from the scene. Uh, take pictures, call the police. Um, you know, it might seem silly — you're in an autonomous vehicle and you're calling the police officer to make a report, like, on what, the — the driverless car? Yes. We need to document what happened, where the vehicle is, uh, where the collision point was. Uh, perhaps it's another driver on the roadway that caused the crash, and that would be the primary focus, their insurance policy. Perhaps it was a single-car accident where the robo-taxi drove into a — a light pole. All of these different factors need to be documented, um, and investigated so that we can make sure that we're going down the correct path and that we're seeking recovery from the responsible parties.

[00:09:55] And in — in the case of an autonomous vehicle, as you're describing, Jared, we're going to file claims and suits if we have to against anyone and everyone involved to make sure that you recover for your damages, uh, you know, no matter where that leads us, whether it's that standard insurance policy that we were talking about or whether we need to make that claim, uh, against, uh, Waymo based on their product, based on their faulty technology. Um, we will follow the facts, we will investigate it, we'll make sure that you get, uh, the compensation that you deserve.

JARED HOFFA
[00:10:26] Yeah, and I'm assuming that would be the same even if you're — let's say you're an Uber driver and you get hit by a Waymo, or you're a — just another driver and a Waymo causes an accident. Is it still the same process, uh, in Chicago if that happens?

BRYANT GREENING
[00:10:37] It's exactly the same. So if you are involved in any sort of Waymo-related accident, any autonomous vehicle claim, uh, you want to contact us because it's — it's the investigation at the beginning that sets the foundation to the case. It's opening the claims with the correct insurance companies. It's following the facts wherever they lead and ensuring that whatever damage that you've sustained, whether it's damage to your car, damage to your person, damage to your livelihood, that we're seeking compensation to ensure that you recover everything that you've lost.

[00:11:04] Got it. Bryant, this has been very informational. I think we could probably even talk about this more in length specifically about, you know, some of the areas with the injuries and accidents, but you know, because it's so fresh, because this is so new, uh, we just have to keep talking about it because there's so much uncertainty, you know, as you said, in which way is this going to go. Is this going to be, uh, like you said, a technical malfunction or is this going to be a car accident? Uh, and so we — we just don't know, but obviously we're — we're going to be here to help.

JARED HOFFA
[00:11:48] You know, and as — and of course before we head into the weekend, I'm definitely going to give you the final saying to let people know, “Hey, if this stuff happens, what do they do?”

BRYANT GREENING
[00:11:59] Yeah, if you find yourself involved in an accident, I would urge you to contact LegalRideshare right away. You can find all of our contact information on legalrideshare.com. Um, we will help you recover for anything that — that you've lost, whether it's the cost of medical treatment, lost wages, pain and suffering, um, whatever damage that you've sustained, um, we're going to fight to make sure that you are fully compensated for those injuries. Uh, legalrideshare.com and consultations are always free.

[00:12:28] Thank you, Bryant. And as I like to say, that is the end of this week in Ride Share. See you next week.

Source Video: TWIR 2 26 26

LegalRideshare is the first law firm in the United States to focus exclusively on Uber®, Lyft®, robotaxis, Waymo, and gig worker accidents and injuries. Consultations are always free.

Waymo under fire for remote workers, New York kills robotaxis and Uber cranks up background checks. LegalRideshare breaks it down.

Waymo defends remote assistance on its cars. Reuters reported:

New York has pulled its robotaxi plan. Bloomberg reported:

Uber is enacting stricter background checks. The New York Times reported:

LegalRideshare is the first law firm in the United States to focus exclusively on Uber®, Lyft®, robotaxis, Waymo, and gig worker accidents and injuries. Consultations are always free.

Uber is positive on robotaxis, Florida reduces insurance and a new e-hail app. LegalRideshare breaks it down.

Uber sees light at the end of the tunnel for robotaxis. Axios reported:

Uber's superpower, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi argues, is the efficiency of its global network — something standalone AV companies lack.

He's positioning Uber as an “indispensable demand layer,” Brulte notes, with the company hoping to become the world's largest facilitator of AV trips by 2029.

“AVs fundamentally amplify the strengths of our platform,” Khosrowshahi told investors: “global scale, deep demand density, sophisticated marketplace technology, and decades of experience matching riders, drivers and vehicles, all in real time,” he said.

The intrigue: Early data suggests Uber's ride-hailing demand is expanding, not shrinking, in cities where AVs operate, Khosrowshahi said — even in places where they're not yet available on Uber's network.

Florida is looking to reduce insurance. Tampa Bay Times reported:

Currently, the company has to have liability coverage of at least $1 million for death, bodily injury and property damage for all periods of a ride. The bill would reduce the required coverage to $50,000 when a ride is accepted. When a passenger is in the vehicle, it would go back to $1 million.

Bill sponsor Sen. Nick DiCeglie, a St. Petersburg Republican, said he's heard concerns about needing higher insurance if a driver was speeding to a ride. But he's said he's not seen any evidence showing that's common.

“It's a cost savings, and at the end of the day, that's going to always benefit the employee and ultimately the consumer,” DiCeglie said.

Representatives from Lyft's primary competitor, Uber, said the company isn't lobbying either way on the legislation.

Under legislation passed that year, rideshare companies would be regulated as technology companies with independent contractors instead of as taxi companies. And the deal included requiring the higher insurance limits for all stages of a ride.

An unlicensed e-hail app is challenging Uber. Gothamist reported:

The company, called Empower, markets itself as a pro-worker platform where drivers pay a $50 monthly fee to use the app. The driver can take home 100% of their fare, which they set themselves. The system leads to cheaper rides for passengers and higher wages for drivers, the company claims.

But Empower is facilitating those rides over the objection of the city Taxi and Limousine Commission, which set up a dedicated website warning New Yorkers not to use the app.

In order for an app-based ride to be legal in the five boroughs, the platform must register for a “base” with the TLC — a facility where cars are dispatched to passengers and operated by the company. Empower doesn't have one.

The company is supposed to pay a $1,500 application fee to secure the base, and insure each of its vehicles.

Sear said thousands of drivers provide “tens of thousands” of rides in the city through Empower each week. That's a drop in the bucket compared to the 88,000 drivers providing more than 4 million rides a week for Uber and Lyft, but Sear says the app giants have taken notice.

“I've spoken with board members of Uber,” said Sear. “ This is an existential threat to their business, and they are going to do everything in their power, bribe every official they can, influence anyone, pull every lever they can to stop drivers from working for themselves.

Uber did not respond to a request for comment on Sear's claims.

Empower is in ongoing civil litigation with municipal regulators in Washington, D.C., who took issue with the company's launch in the district without approval. A judge ruled the company and Sear be held in contempt of court after they kept offering rides. Court documents show that Empower is appealing that contempt order.

LegalRideshare is the first law firm in the United States to focus exclusively on Uber®, Lyft®, robotaxis, Waymo, and gig worker accidents and injuries. Consultations are always free.

What happens when you get into an accident with a passenger in the car? In this special clip, LegalRideshare teams up with @AskTorsten (The Rideshare Professor) to tackle the toughest parts of the job: crash liability, passenger injuries, and how to protect yourself when things go wrong on the road. We discuss: Immediate steps to take after a rideshare accident. How to handle passengers who are injured or difficult. The truth about Uber/Lyft insurance coverage. Have you been injured in a rideshare accident? Don't fight the insurance companies alone. Call us: (312) 767-7950 Visit us: https://www.legalrideshare.com Email: [email protected] ---------- LegalRideshare is the first law firm in the United States to focus exclusively on Uber®, Lyft®, robotaxis, Waymo, and gig worker accidents and injuries. Consultations are always free.

In this week's episode, we cover a devastating financial blow to the driver community involving a massive $550 million loss. Plus, tensions boil over as human drivers officially begin protesting Waymo robotaxis, and Uber heads to court for a high-stakes trial. LegalRideshare breaks down what these stories mean for your wallet and your job security. ------ Have you been injured in a rideshare or robotaxi accident? Don't fight the insurance companies alone. Call us: (312) 767-7950 Visit us: https://www.legalrideshare.com Email: [email protected] ------ LegalRideshare is the first law firm in the United States to focus exclusively on Uber®, Lyft®, robotaxis, Waymo, and gig worker accidents and injuries. Consultations are always free.

Male drivers sue, Waymo hits the highways and Uber sends rides. LegalRideshare breaks it down.

Male drivers are suing Uber & Lyft over discrimination. Time reported:

Waymo hits the highways. Bloomberg reported:

Uber is adding new features. The Verge reported:

LegalRideshare is the first law firm in the United States to focus exclusively on Uber®, Lyft®, robotaxis, Waymo, and gig worker accidents and injuries. Consultations are always free.

Boston clamps down on robotaxis, Uber takes on Waymo and gig workers get a new gig. LegalRideshare breaks it down.

Boston is putting the breaks on driverless taxis. Bloomberg reported:

Boston city councilors are proposing an ordinance that would require Alphabet Inc.'s Waymo and other autonomous ride-share services to have a human operator present in the vehicle.

The legislation would mandate a study on the technology's effects on the employment of current ride-share drivers and prohibit self-driving cars from operating in Boston until that's been completed and other permitting requirements are established. Even then, the cars wouldn't be allowed to operate unless a human safety operator is inside the vehicle and able to intervene, according to the proposed ordinance.

The restrictions are up for possible action at a meeting on Wednesday, though councilors said there are likely to be more hearings on the legislation before it comes to a full vote. Typically, proposals from city councilors that advance must pass through committee and then receive public hearings before the mayor signs off. The exact language of Boston's restrictions on autonomous vehicles could change substantially before anything becomes law.

Boston has been something of a hotbed for autonomous vehicle development. Hyundai Motor Co.-backed Motional is headquartered in the city and has been testing on public roads there since 2016. Boston is also among the cities where Waymo, which is widely considered to be the leader in the space, has been doing mapping and testing work as the company looks to expand service to new US cities.

Ethan Teicher, a spokesperson for Waymo, said in a post on X that the proposal would make Boston the “first major city in the world to ban fully autonomous vehicles based entirely on vibes,” adding that the company's vehicles improve safety. A local Teamsters chapter and other labor unions have protested the rollout of autonomous ride-share services in Massachusetts.

Uber is taking on Waymo in San Fran. Bloomberg reported:

Uber Technologies Inc. is preparing to offer driverless rides on vehicles developed by Lucid Group Inc. and Nuro Inc. in the San Francisco Bay Area for the first time next year, thrusting the company into direct competition with Waymo's robotaxi service.

Road testing of the vehicles — Lucid Gravity SUVs outfitted with Nuro's self-driving technology — is currently underway with drivers manually operating them, a Nuro spokesperson said. The first cars in the test fleet were delivered in September, and the number will grow to more than a hundred in the coming months, according to an Uber statement.

The move is a step toward Uber challenging Alphabet Inc.'s Waymo, whose driverless taxis have become ubiquitous in San Francisco. The two companies currently work together to provide Waymo rides on the Uber app in Austin, Atlanta and Phoenix, but Waymo offers its own service in major urban markets like San Francisco and Los Angeles. Next year, Waymo will expand its service to Miami, London and Washington.

Uber, meanwhile, has struck more than a dozen deals with robotaxi developers in the past year — a bet on a future where autonomous vehicles and human drivers complement each other on its platform. That push has included investing hundreds of millions of dollars in both Lucid and Nuro.

Robotaxis could offer new gigs for gig workers. Business Insider reported:

As self-driving cars become cheaper and more common, though, there could be a new opportunity for drivers in the world of robotaxis, said Jeremy Bird, Lyft's executive vice president of driver experience.

“The hybrid world of that future might be that the driver is the owner of the vehicle that they are able to put on the platform,” Bird told Business Insider.

Robotaxis could create other jobs as well, such as at the depots that maintain the vehicles, Bird said. The cars would need to be charged and serviced around the clock.

Walter Strobel, who drives for Lyft in the Bay Area and previously ran his own delivery business, said that he would consider taking out a loan to buy vehicles that he could make available to Lyft for rides.

LegalRideshare is the first law firm in the United States to focus exclusively on Uber®, Lyft®, robotaxis, Waymo, and gig worker accidents and injuries. Consultations are always free.

Taxi drivers protest, Lyft tests loyalty and Uber pays $4000 to drivers. LegalRideshare breaks it down.

Taxis are preparing a total shutdown. Catalan News reported:

Lyft tests new loyalty rewards. Bloomberg reported:

Uber is paying drivers $4000 to go EV. The Verge reported:

LegalRideshare is the first law firm in the United States to focus exclusively on Uber®, Lyft®, robotaxis, Waymo, and gig worker accidents and injuries. Consultations are always free.

Hong Kong regulates Uber, the future is Waymo and drivers earn extra cash. LegalRideshare breaks it down.

After a decade, Hong Kong has finally regulated Uber. Bloomberg reported:

Under new rules to take in effect next year, ride-hailing platforms, vehicles and drivers will need to obtain relevant licences and permits, according to a government statement. The regulation also strengthens penalties for the illegal carriage of paying passengers.

The bill “will address the long-standing controversies surrounding such services and provide the public with more travel options that are safer and lawful,” Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan said in a statement.

Under the new rules, drivers will need to be at least 21 years old and have no serious traffic convictions within the past five years.

Uber said it welcomed the government's move to formally regulate ride-sharing in Hong Kong. The bill will help integrate ride-sharing into the city's transport system and ensure riders and drivers alike benefit from clear rules, an Uber spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

Is Waymo the future? One reporter thinks so. Bloomberg reported:

I've covered the car industry for 20 years, and I would hate to see our sports coupes and road trips disappear. The risks associated with relinquishing control over my mobility also give me pause. Or they did. I took a Waymo for the first time recently in Los Angeles and … I haven't stopped using it since. Rather than replace our cool cars, self-driving vehicles will, I predict, become a welcome complement to modern life, first as part of ride-sharing platforms and then as privately owned transport. Why? Because they offer an excellent solution for something nobody likes: commuting.

If driving is heaven, commuting is hell. Not even the hardest-core drivers like it. So the question isn't whether self-driving will replace our favorite cars (I think not), but rather, will it remove the burden of our most mundane trips? And could it replace other ride-sharing platforms like Uber? I certainly hope so.

Beyond Waymo, robo-taxis and -shuttles are also running in China, Singapore and the Middle East, and they're being tested across Europe. The vehicles are expected to become commercially available in the US at a large scale by 2030, according to the research firm McKinsey.

But they're a long way from being ubiquitous. A world of self-driving cars will require billions of dollars of development, improved navigation systems, increased charging infrastructures and new regulations to amend traffic laws. Ford, General Motors and Volkswagen have all canceled autonomous taxi programs they once funded by the billions. (GM is planning to renew exploring autonomous cars for personal use, rather than as a robotaxi service.) Tesla's Robotaxis aren't open to the public. Given the company's proclivity for extensive delays, it's unclear when they will be.

Uber is offering new ways for drivers to make money. Bloomberg reported:

A new job category called “digital tasks” will appear in the Uber driver app for some workers later this fall, offering existing registered drivers the opportunity to make a few bucks if they take on simple assignments that can be completed within minutes, according to the company.

Those stints currently include uploading documents like restaurant menus, or recording audio samples of themselves narrating a scenario in various languages, said Chief Product Officer Sachin Kansal. More tasks will be added over time, he said, and the payout will vary based on the time commitment of each assignment.

Uber is seeking to ride the wave of a growing appetite for bespoke datasets and labeling services that require human vetting to train AI models. Scale AI, which offers similar services, received more than $14 billion in investment from Meta Platforms Inc. earlier this year and is valued at more than $29 billion.

Kansal said in an interview that the new digital tasks aren't meant as an answer to potential driver displacement from the increasing availability of autonomous vehicles, but as a way to keep attracting drivers to the app with more ways to earn.

LegalRideshare is the first law firm in the United States to focus exclusively on Uber®, Lyft®, robotaxis, Waymo, and gig worker accidents and injuries. Consultations are always free.

Drivers get the greenlight to unionize, Waymo hires lobbyists and Lyft kills tips. LegalRideshare breaks it down.

Drivers in CA can soon unionize. TechCrunch reported:

Drivers for ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft will soon have the right to unionize in California as independent contractors, thanks to a bill signed Friday by Governor Gavin Newsom.

This is part of a larger deal between lawmakers, unions, and ride-hailing companies, resulting in the passage of separate bills supporting lower insurance requirements for Uber and Lyft, along with union rights for their drivers. When the deal was first announced in August, Newsom described it as a “historic agreement between workers and business that only California could deliver.”

The Associated Press reports that more than 800,000 drivers will gain the right to join a union and collectively bargain for better pay and benefits. Ramona Prieto, Uber's head of public policy for California, told the AP in a statement that the two bills “represent a compromise that lowers costs for riders while creating stronger voices for drivers.”

Waymo hires lobbyists. Axios reported:

Waymo recently hired four lobbyists from a local firm, state disclosures show, signaling that it's gearing up to push for a green light to test — and eventually launch — its autonomous vehicles in Minnesota.

Teicher didn't respond to Axios' question about Waymo's specific policy goals, but said the company is “engaging with regulators and lawmakers across the globe” to explain its technology in hopes of expanding to more markets.

DFL Rep. Erin Koegel, co-chair of the House transportation committee, said she was “more skeptical and a little bit more apprehensive” about autonomous vehicles in previous sessions.

Lyft kills the tips feature. News Nation reported:

Lyft has scrapped a test feature that let some drivers see how often passengers tip before accepting a ride.

“While this experiment showed early signs of improving the marketplace and helping riders to get to where they need to go on time, we heard our customers and cancelled the experiment,” a Lyft spokesperson told NewsNation in an email Thursday.

The decision comes after screenshots of the feature drew criticism on social media, with some vowing to stop using the popular rideshare service.

LegalRideshare is the first law firm in the United States to focus exclusively on Uber®, Lyft®, robotaxis, Waymo, and gig worker accidents and injuries. Consultations are always free.