Uber Changes Course, Applies For CA Self-Driving Permit

After refusing for months to get the necessary permit to test its autonomous vehicles on public roads, the ride-hailing company said March 2 it will now abide by California rules just like more than 20 other companies working on self-driving technology in the state, including Google, Tesla, Honda, BMW, and Ford.

Key Takeaways:

• Within hours of Uber’s self-driving car launch in San Francisco in December, California’s Department of Motor Vehicles told the company it was breaking the law and needed to halt the program until it got a permit.
• Further complicating issues for Uber’s self-driving car project are public safety concerns as the vehicles had been observed running a red light.
• After initially refusing to obtain a permit, Uber is now saying they will apply for the state required permit.

“After a botched rollout of its autonomous vehicles in San Francisco and months of refusing to get a state permit, Uber says it will now follow the rules.”

http://www.lctmag.com/operations/news/721287/uber-changes-course-applies-for-ca-self-driving-permit