NOLA.com · New Orleans, LA
Nearby: New Orleans, LANew Orleans, Jefferson Parish collaborate to write robotaxi rules before Waymo goes driverless
New Orleans and Jefferson Parish are aiming to standardize a set of proposed robotaxi regulations before companies like Waymo roll out driverless testing on area roads, officials said Thursday.During a pair of committee meetings where council members, transit advocates and drivers discussed the proposed plans, City Council President JP Morrell and city staff suggested that working across parish lines would help simplify rules and improve how they worked.Robotaxi companies like Waymo, which has been testing its fleet in New Orleans, have not launched autonomous vehicles here yet, but issues in other cities has prompted local officials to try and get rules in place before they arrive. "Since most traffic from taxicab-esque things is from the airport to everywhere else, having a unified framework across both parishes would be best suited for everyone," said Morrell, who introduced the draft ordinance last month.
