San Francisco’s LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, along with other community organizations, are urging state regulators to approve Waymo’s permit for its 24/7 self-driving car service. These organizations argue that autonomous vehicles are safer and provide more accessibility and independence for people with disabilities than traditional ride-hailing services. They hope that the permit will encourage expanded services. In an open letter, these groups urged the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to approve Waymo’s permit as soon as possible, arguing that driverless cars can make transportation more inclusive. Other groups supporting this include the San Francisco LGBT Center, Self-Help for the Elderly, and the Epilepsy Foundation of Northern California. However, San Francisco officials have raised concerns about driverless vehicles disrupting traffic and interfering with bus routes and emergency scenes. As a result, the CPUC has delayed its decision on the permit. Waymo and its competitor Cruise are both seeking to expand their paid passenger services in San Francisco, pending approval from the CPUC. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) reported 85 incidents involving Waymo and 261 involving Cruise between April 2022 and April 2023. Despite these concerns, advocates for autonomous vehicles, like Sharon Giovinazzo, LightHouse’s CEO, believe that [...]