In a quick walk around Austin, you’re guaranteed a few things: unbearable heat, seeing a cute dog on a walk and a run-in with a cruise car or two.
Cruise cars, driverless robot taxis that had a less than stellar trial run in San Francisco, have taken over Austin in the past few months. These cars are frequently seen crowding streets, making abrupt stops and driving at night with no headlights.
Over the weekend, a semi-viral tweet and many TikToks were posted that showed about 20 cars stuck on San Gabriel Street on Saturday night. It’s not clear if every car involved was a Cruise car, but many were.
According to the poster, Cruise officials attempted to remote-control the cars to remedy the incident. It’s still unclear what caused the confusion, but a Cruise spokesperson suggested it was due to pedestrian traffic. This is only one of many incidents surrounding the cars, and a brief glimpse into what the future of autonomous vehicles looks like.
Despite the uproar from Austinites over the chaos caused by the cars, officials have their hands tied. A recent memo from the Austin Transportation and Public Works Department said that due to state law, they cannot regulate autonomous vehicles. Simply put, cruise cars will not be leaving Austin anytime soon.