Overview
- Philadelphia City Council, at a Tuesday hearing, urged PennDOT to pause Waymo’s rollout until safety plans and job impacts are addressed.
- Waymo did not attend the hearing and instead sent written testimony citing 170 million autonomous miles and 92% fewer serious‑injury crashes than human drivers.
- City officials said a 2022 Pennsylvania law gives PennDOT, not Philadelphia, the power to permit driverless operations, which limits the city’s leverage.
- In London, the Department for Transport said Waymo’s cars remain in testing with safety drivers and no passengers as a recent police‑cordon breach in Harlesden is reviewed.
- The Pennsylvania permitting timeline remains unsettled, and officials do not expect Waymo to secure approval before Philadelphia’s major summer events.