CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Autonomous vehicles, or self-driving cars, are being implemented in cities across the country. Some legislation being proposed at the Statehouse could bring them to Massachusetts. On Thursday, Cambridge City Council held a public hearing to discuss the topic.
Ahead of the meeting, a Teamsters Local 25 joined by a coalition of unions, gathered in front of Cambridge City Hall to express their concerns about why self-driving vehicles could cause more harm than good. Many of them held signs that read, “Say no to Waymo.”
“Technology may be the future, but what happens to people who built their lives around driving,” one of the union members said.
Many of the rideshare drivers who spoke shared concerns about the technology taking away their jobs and livelihood.
“I believe technology, AI should be there to help with your job better, not to replace us,” Prisell Polanco, a rideshare driver, said.
Along with taking away jobs, there are also safety concerns, some of which have been caught on video in other parts of the country.
“We have had Waymos roll through active crime scenes; we have Waymos impede fire trucks and ambulances getting their patients where they need to go,” another union member said.
The group brought those concerns to Cambridge City Council during their meeting to discuss it on Thursday. Many of the councilors agreed with their concerns.
“The streetscape here in Cambridge was laid out in the 1600s and it’s dangerous enough as it is,” Timothy Flaherty, a Cambridge City Councilor, said.
But some of them shared a different perspective on the new technology.
“Shared autonomous vehicles are the future... the idea is that we’ll be less dependent on cars in the future and we’ll be a more sustainable city,” Catherine Zusy, a Cambridge City Councilor, said.
Rachel Tanenhaus, the ADA Coordinator for the city of Cambridge, said there are some benefits for some people with disabilities who are sometimes discriminated against by rideshare drivers.
“This is absolutely a key to independence for a lot of us who have disabilities that impact our ability to drive,” Tanenhaus said.
Boston 25 reached out to Waymo for comment but has not heard back.
Massachusetts currently does not allow self-driving cars, but there is some legislation currently being proposed at the Statehouse to potentially change that.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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