Washington blocks driverless taxis as council committee votes down Waymo ride bill

WASHINGTON, Nov 12 — The District of Columbia Council's transportation committee on Thursday voted down a bill to allow driverless ride-hailing, delaying Waymo's plans to offer commercial driverless rides in the district until at least next year. Paid rides would not begin before the fall of 2027 at the earliest.

Committee rejects the bill 3-2, with the mayor-elect voting no

Bill B26-0684, the Autonomous Vehicle Deployment Authorization Amendment Act, was introduced by Councilmember Charles Allen and would have allowed companies such as Waymo to offer driverless rides in the district. In Thursday's vote, Allen and Christina Henderson voted in favour, while Zachary Parker, Elissa Silverman and mayor-elect Janeese Lewis George voted against. Committee chair Phil Mendelson cast a symbolic vote in favour.

Concessions fail to win support

The revised bill had added several concessions: a district-wide cap of 800 autonomous vehicles, a requirement that 20% of the fleet be accessible by 2032, and collective bargaining rights for ride-hailing drivers and vehicle mechanics. Labour and accessibility groups remained opposed.

Bill dies if not passed by January 2

Under council rules, the bill dies if it is not passed before the session ends on January 2, 2027. It could not return to committee before next September at the earliest, putting paid rides in the fall of 2027 to early 2028. The district enacted one of the first autonomous-vehicle testing laws in the United States in 2012, and Waymo has been testing in the district since 2024.

(Sources: The Washington Sun; Zark News.)