Doubts loom over Waymo taking over Toronto streets with robo taxis

Waymo is trying to bring its driverless taxis to Toronto's streets, but it isn't clear whether the company will even be welcome in the city, with both Mayor Olivia Chow and Premier Doug Ford expressing concerns over the impact on local jobs.

The Toronto Star reports that Waymo told Chow's office of its plans to apply to the Ontario government's automated vehicle pilot program during a recent lobbying push at city hall. Waymo representatives and hired StrategyCorp lobbyists have been speaking with city officials since December, which public records show includes managers in transportation services and mayoral staffers.

Chow's press secretary, Braman Thillainathan, told The Star that the company has made no specific request of Chow, and that the city is not in charge of regulating driverless cars, but that it is up to the province to do so. However, he did also say that the mayor won't back the company if its operations hurt Toronto’s taxi and ride-hail drivers, which the city's drivers are probably happy to hear.

While the city has rules governing existing vehicle-for-hire services, The Star notes that it is unclear what role the municipality will play in regulating Waymo's driverless-vehicle operations. However, the Ontario government has taken the lead in establishing rules for the (somewhat struggling) tech sector, setting out conditions for automated vehicles tested under the pilot project that started in 2016 and will run until 2027.

Although Premier Doug Ford's government did not respond to The Star, the premier is reportedly aware of the optics of allowing an American tech company to replace rideshare drivers. However, it was noted that under the automated vehicle pilot project, driverless testing is not illegal in Ontario.