ANGRY Uber drivers have slammed self-driving cars, which are slowly taking over the streets of San Fransisco.
After years of testing, the state has given the green light to robotaxi services, but rideshare drivers are not convinced they will take off.
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Alex Popovics, who has been driving for Uber and Lyft in San Francisco for five years, has indicated that their are numerous reasons why passengers prefer human drivers.
“Rideshare passengers are spoiled. They’re used to getting picked up right where they are,” said Popovics.
Popovics explains that he has made the difficult decision to block driveways so that he can pickup passengers without making them walk.
He argues that an AI-powered car would not be willing to bend the law just to keep it's customers content.
The ride-hail driver has also pointed out that driverless cars are less equipped to deal with unwell passengers.
Popovic has escorted his fair share of intoxicated riders and has learned how to handle these situations.
After a few people threw up in his vehicle, he began asking his passengers how they were feeling.
“Not because I want to know about them,” he explained. “I want to hear them speak to see if they’re slurring.”
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He has plenty of plastic bags on hand in case anyone becomes queasy.
Popovic has doubts that the robotaxis can offer the same level of customer service.
Robotaxis are equipped with cameras and two-way voice links inside, but the cars and their overseers cannot gauge exactly how intoxicated a person is.
Over the last year, three incidents were reported where riders fell asleep in the vehicles and could not be woken up.
Emergency services were alerted and responded in each instance.
Many of the self-driving cars are owned and operated by Google spinoff Waymo.
Waymo spokesperson, Julia Ilina, assures that the technology in place will keep cars clean and safe.
Ilina noted that the company uses cameras to determine if a car needs cleaning before or after a ride.
Cruise charges up to $150 for “extensive liquid and smelly messes,” including vomit.
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Still, even Ilina acknowledges that the driverless cab will never replace humans.
“There will continue to be a great need for drivers over the coming years,” she noted.
