RoboTaxis Are Getting Ready To Invade Texas

The RoboTaxis are coming and there's nothing you can do about it. Yes, we are living in the world of  Arnold Schwarzenegger's "Total Recall" The Johnny Cab is real!

According to Axios, self-driving taxis are moving into a number of American cities.

"Phoenix, San Francisco and Austin are currently the only cities where the public can hail a driverless robotaxi, but that list could grow by a dozen or more within the next year. GM-owned Cruise has really hit the accelerator, announcing testing in 14 cities, including Seattle, San Diego, Miami, Nashville, Raleigh, Charlotte, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. Dallas and Houston are closest to commercial service."

Yes, you read that right - Austin already has some and Dallas and Houston are next!

According to Axios, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner is all in on the idea.

"The city welcomes all autonomous vehicle operators, provided that these companies and their vehicles adhere to rigorous safety standards and comply with all applicable rules of the road. The administration recognizes the potential of this pioneering technology to reduce traffic congestion, enhance public safety, mitigate transportation-related emissions, and decrease transportation expenses."  -  Jesse Bounds, director of the Mayor's Office of Innovation

However, there is a downside to what supposed to a technological answer to drunk drivers, traffic problems and vehicle breakdown. There is no regulation.  As Axios points out...

"Ordinarily, the federal government oversees vehicle design, safety and performance, while states govern driver licensing, insurance and liability. Cities, meanwhile, control the local rules of the road.  With AVs, there is no driver to be licensed, and in some cases — like Cruise's upcoming Origin robotaxi — no steering wheel or pedals either, complicating federal safety-standard compliance.  That's one reason San Francisco officials are frustrated, citing a series of mishaps involving robotaxis over which they have virtually no control."

So get ready - the robots are here and they want give you a lift!