Protest at San Francisco Waymo depot revives debate over robotaxis and safety

A small group of demonstrators rallied outside a Waymo car depot in San Francisco’s Bayview neighborhood on Wednesday, renewing local pressure on the autonomous vehicle company over safety, disaster response and the impact on transportation workers.

Protesters from several advocacy groups gathered at the exit of a fenced Waymo parking lot and called on local and state leaders to halt the company’s operations in the city and create stronger accountability rules for robotaxi providers.

Steve Zeltzer, with the United Front Committee for a Labor Party, demanded that Waymo, which is owned by Google parent Alphabet, stop all activity in San Francisco. He argued that major natural or man made disasters in the Bay Area could be worsened if autonomous vehicles lose connectivity and stall in traffic lanes.

According to Zeltzer, a major earthquake in San Francisco could shut down Wi-Fi and other infrastructure that Waymo vehicles rely on. He said the cars are dependent on the city’s electric facilities and warned that stalled vehicles could block roads or draw resources from first responders at a time when communication systems are already compromised. Zeltzer said there is a lack of accountability for the company in San Francisco and called for city leaders to act.

Waymo’s performance during recent power outages has already drawn scrutiny from local officials. A series of large outages in December left parts of San Francisco dark, with traffic lights and other communication equipment shut off. According to prior reporting cited in the source text, Waymo vehicles in affected areas stopped moving and obstructed roadways for other drivers and emergency responders. Those incidents prompted criticism from San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie and several members of the Board of Supervisors, who accused the company of creating a public safety hazard and pressed it to adopt safeguards for future outages.

Lurie had previously supported allowing autonomous vehicles onto Market Street after approving the return of private ride hailing vehicles to the central corridor in August of last year. At that time, he framed robotaxis as one part of a broader strategy to expand transportation access and help revive downtown.

On Wednesday, labor concerns were as prominent as safety fears. San Francisco Taxi Worker Alliance board member Mark Gruberg, who has driven a cab in the city since 1983, joined the Bayview protest and warned that robotaxi expansion threatens the livelihoods of a wide range of transportation workers.

Gruberg said he believes drivers for taxis, Uber, Lyft, trucks, buses and shuttles are “all in the crosshairs” as autonomous systems gain ground. He argued that at some point, operators of these systems will decide they no longer need human drivers. He also maintained that taxi drivers can offer passengers a more positive and comfortable experience than automated services.

Gruberg specifically criticized Waymo’s accessibility network, which the company describes as a group of partners dedicated to helping transport people with physical, visual, cognitive and sensory disabilities. He said the network is ineffective and argued that people with disabilities are better served by human drivers. In his view, the company is overselling its benefits for disabled riders.

Not all disability advocates share that assessment. According to the source text, several disability rights organizations have praised robotaxi services for their ease of use and for providing what they describe as a more comfortable environment for riders who may be wary of human drivers.

Tony Stephens, assistant vice president of communications at the American Foundation for the Blind, said people with service animals and those without have faced illegal discrimination from human drivers. He said the option of driverless rides has offered a significant sense of comfort and independence for people who are blind or have vision loss.

Stephens described how people who cannot drive often have to rely on favors from others or on drivers who may refuse rides or deny service to guide dog users. He said that for these riders, access to robotaxis can be life changing, because they no longer have to depend on others for transportation.

While protests continue in San Francisco, Waymo is expanding its footprint across the broader Bay Area. The company received approval from the California Public Utilities Commission to operate on select freeways and to serve San Jose Mineta International Airport. According to data the company reported to the commission, Waymo has seen rapid growth in ridership across its markets, going from an average of about 100,000 passengers per month in early 2024 to more than 1 million riders per month by late 2025.

A line graph cited in the source text shows a steep increase in Waymo trips reported to state regulators during that period, reflecting what the company describes as strong and growing demand for its robotaxi service.

In a statement included in the source text, Waymo spokesperson Katherine Barna said the company is “on a mission to be the world’s most trusted driver,” and aims to make it safer, more accessible and more sustainable for riders to get around. She said Waymo serves hundreds of thousands of trips each week and offers a reliable option to a diverse group of riders while improving road safety in the cities where it operates.

Barna also said the company is in constant communication with the communities it serves and remains committed to open dialogue. Waymo maintains that its technology can enhance safety and accessibility as it scales.

The Bayview protest illustrates how polarized the local conversation around robotaxis has become. On one side are labor groups, some public officials and residents who worry about job loss, street congestion and the behavior of driverless cars during emergencies. On the other are disability advocates and riders who say autonomous vehicles have already increased their mobility and independence.

The source text does not indicate whether city or state officials responded directly to Wednesday’s protest, and it does not specify any immediate regulatory changes tied to the demonstration. For now, the tension between Waymo’s rapid regional growth and ongoing fears about safety and employment continues to play out on San Francisco streets, in public hearings and outside company depots like the one in Bayview.