Waymo, the self-driving car division of Google's parent company Alphabet, has paused operations in four US cities due to its robotaxis struggling with heavy rain and puddles. The driverless electric taxis were suspended in Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday, following similar pauses in Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio in Texas due to severe weather warnings.
These suspensions come after a recall of around 3,800 Waymo vehicles in the US over issues with flooded roads. Footage of a Waymo cab appearing unable to navigate a puddle in Austin, Texas, was widely shared earlier this month, causing traffic backups on a busy road.
Waymo did not respond to a request for comment from The Independent. In a statement on Thursday, the firm said it was evaluating the performance of its fleet. "Safety is Waymo's top priority, both for our riders and everyone we share the road with," the company said. "During a period of intense rain yesterday in Atlanta, an unoccupied Waymo vehicle encountered a flooded road and stopped."
Waymo is currently testing its driverless taxi service in London ahead of a public rollout later this year. Passengers are expected to be able to book autonomous rides from September, pending approval from Transport for London. The UK Department for Transport began accepting applications for self-driving taxi services this week, noting their potential to significantly reduce accidents on public roads.
"Self-driving vehicles represent a transformative opportunity for Britain, opening up independent travel for disabled people and older adults, whilst driving growth and creating high-skilled jobs across the UK," said Simon Lightwood, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport. "This pilot scheme brings that future closer, giving passengers the opportunity to experience self-driving travel first-hand while ensuring safety always comes first."
London-based startup Wayve has also signalled an interest in launching an autonomous taxi service in the UK, as well as Chinese firm Baidu and US giant Uber.
