Austin Independent School District Demands Waymo Halt Rush Hour Service

The city is Austin is a city ripe for technology to be tested. When something new comes to the area, it is a cause for celebration. But, there's always something that has be corrected when the new tech is tested.

Waymo's Beginnings In The City Of Austin, Texas

Waymo is an automated taxi service available to those in the city of Austin. But Waymo isn't without its faults. It's been well documented that the service has come into issues in other cities that its offered in, such as a Waymo driving through a police standoff.

Read More: Driverless Cars Hit Texas, Here's A Look At My Experience In One

Austin has also seen problems with Waymo, such as being involved in a crash in the city. Questions have continued to arise about cars that drive themselves with no human assistance. With these worries at the forefront of some Texans minds, video has shown the cars still have a lot to learn.

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Waymo cars have recently going past school buses illegally, and some are wondering what the company is doing to stop it.

Waymo Cars Illegally Passing School Buses In Austin, With Parent Company Responding

According to video evidence in possession of KXAN, 19 instances of Waymo cars going around school buses without properly stopping have have been recorded. Even more alarming, children getting off the school buses were spotted in the video.

Waymo spoke to KXAN, saying the following:

“Safety is our top priority at Waymo, including how we interact with school buses. We have already implemented software updates to address this situation and are committed to improving road safety through our ongoing learnings and experience.”

But, at the time of writing, Austin district leaders have requested that Waymo stop running their vehicles during certain times, which are 5:20 to 9:30 AM. and 3 to 7 PM. In a comment to KXAN, Senior Counsel of AISD Jennifer Oliaro said:

“This is a serious, dangerous situation for Austin ISD. Austin ISD is reviewing all potential legal remedies at its disposal and intends to take whatever action is necessary to protect its students."

As this is a developing story, we will have more information when it becomes available.