The DMV in California has told Uber that it needs to discontinue its self-driving car program in SF immediately and if it doesn't then they will be forced to follow suit with legal action against the company.
They have already sent a letter to Uber and demanded that they stop operating their self-driving cars on the public roads.
The DMV says that Uber never applied for the proper permission slip (permit) in order to allow them to operate their self-driving vehicles on the public roads and the city is ready to start a legal battle in order to make sure that they get their cut on this deal. They want Uber to confirm immediately whether or not they are going to seek that permit for their vehicles and if not then they are going to face the consequences.
Uber unveiled its self-driving car program in a pilot launch just this week in San Francisco and one of its cars ran a red light on its first run, and it was all caught on video. Self-driving cars have shown in the past that they aren't immune to making mistakes on the road. And this isn't the first time that Uber might be caught-up in a legal battle either, they've already been involved in a number of legal battles throughout their company history.
The self-driving cars that they unveiled just this week, are expected to be used by members of the public who pay for the service through the Uber app. The program is an extension of tests which began several months ago in Pittsburgh. Thanks to this program, now anyone can go and try out and get a ride from an autonomous vehicle, if they are in an area that offers this service.
Uber is one of the biggest investors in the self-driving technology space, therefore it probably won't be too long before they sort this mess out with the city. Until they do, the DMV has declared that the autonomous vehicles are currently operating illegally. And they've threatened to sue over the matter if need be.
pics:
pixabay
sources:
http://www.recode.net/2016/12/14/13962016/uber-self-driving-car-volvo-red-light
http://www.recode.net/2016/12/14/13962698/uber-dmv-self-driving-cars-stop-order
http://www.wsj.com/articles/california-dmv-calls-ubers-autonomous-autos-illegal-1481761533