Mayor Bass pushes for more testing before permitting robotaxis in Los Angeles

As Waymo robotaxis plucked up passengers for free this week in Santa Monica and Venice, worry grew among Los Angeles officials about the safety of driverless cars on city streets. Mayor Bass asked regulators Wednesday to increase their scrutiny of automated taxis and said the city should have a say in how they are regulated. The move comes after a Cruise robotaxi dragged a person down a San Francisco street last month and the company allegedly failed to disclose the footage to the state Department of Motor Vehicles. The DMV suspended the General Motors-owned company's permits and Cruise has since announced it will suspend U.S. operations. The incident in San Francisco -- where the two driverless fleets were doing business -- was among several that raised red flags among Los Angeles officials, who have begun to see more and more robotaxis being tested on city streets.