You do not have to book a driverless ride to have a stake in how it operates. You might cross the street in front of one, share its pickup area or earn your living driving the passengers it hopes to attract.
That is why San Diego’s conversation about Waymo should lead to something residents can use: a quarterly public report card on autonomous taxi operations.
On Sept. 1, Waymo announced that it was beginning to welcome its first public riders in San Diego, with access expanding gradually. That creates an opportunity to establish how the city will evaluate the service as it grows.
Last Monday the City Council passed a resolution requesting local control in the deployment of autonomous vehicles in San Diego. The resolution also addressed worker protections and cooperation on safety, noise, curbside use and data privacy.
These concerns deserve an ongoing public record. Residents should be able to see what is working, what needs attention and who is responsible for responding.
California already requires reporting. The California Public Utilities Commission authorizes autonomous passenger-service programs, and deployment applicants must also obtain a permit from the Department of Motor Vehicles. According to the CPUC, deployment operators submit quarterly operational reports, including incident information. Some publicly posted information is redacted under confidentiality claims.
San Diego should start with available state data and identify what can reliably be reported at the city level. Staff should estimate the work and cost involved, then propose a brief quarterly report using existing reporting systems wherever possible. Any gaps requiring additional cooperation or legal authority should be stated clearly, and passenger privacy must remain protected.
The report should answer four practical questions.
First, how well does the service share our streets? Residents should be able to understand documented obstructions, pickup problems and incidents requiring assistance, along with the responses. Where reliable trip or mileage totals are available, those figures should provide context. A raw incident count alone cannot tell residents how frequently problems occur.
Second, who can actually use the service? For someone who cannot drive, another dependable transportation option could expand independence. But evaluating access requires specifics: service boundaries, passenger assistance, accommodation of mobility devices and limitations that may prevent someone from completing a trip. Disability advocates and passengers should help determine what gets measured.
Third, how does emergency coordination work? In its launch announcement, Waymo said it had worked with local first responders and maintained communication with officials. A local report should build on that preparation by explaining how operational problems are resolved and what improvements follow documented incidents.
Fourth, what is changing for people who drive for a living? San Diego should establish a baseline and consult taxi, rideshare and delivery drivers as autonomous services expand. Where credible employment or earnings data are available, the city should examine them. Where they are missing, it should say so. Changes in earnings can have several causes; claims about automation’s effects need evidence.
The value of this report would depend on what happens afterward. For recurring problems identified in the report, the city should name the responsible agency or operator, describe the proposed response and provide a date for an update. Residents reporting concerns should know how those concerns reach the operator or regulator able to act.
The city must hold itself to the same standard. Any proposed restriction should identify the problem it addresses, the evidence supporting it and how its effectiveness will be assessed. Officials should explain which actions fall within existing city authority and which require changes in state law.
A useful report card would also recognize success. If evidence shows dependable trips, improved access or effective responses to problems, residents should see that. Public scrutiny should give good performance the same visibility as shortcomings.
San Diego can welcome a new transportation option while asking clear questions about its place in public life. A quarterly report would give passengers, workers and neighborhoods a shared basis for that conversation.
The next chapter of driverless transportation should be written in results residents can understand: who benefits, what goes wrong and what changes because someone spoke up. San Diego should put those results on the public record.
Shikha Bansal is a San Diego-based writer and community advocate.
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