SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The San Diego MTS board passed a resolution this week to push back against self-driving vehicles in San Diego.

The resolution, proposed by District 9 council member Sean Elo-Rivera, opposes the expansion of “driverless passenger vehicle services in San Diego without meaningful local oversight or regulation.”

Elo-Rivera acts as the chair of the Taxi Advisory Committee. Passed in a 12-1 vote, the resolution prioritizes San Diego drivers.

A press release from Elo-Rivera’s office reads, in part, “These are hardworking people who rely on driving to pay rent, put food on the table, and care for their families. No corporation should be allowed to quietly replace people with machines just to boost profits.”

The decision comes in the wake of Waymo’s November announcement of plans to pilot a program in San Diego and launch autonomous vehicles soon.

Restricting driverless vehicle use around the San Diego International Airport is also a key tenet of the resolution, because “drivers are already facing increasing competition and economic pressure,” as stated in Elo-Rivera’s press release.

The tenets of the adopted resolution include:

Urge California leaders to restore local control and the right of communities to vote on whether autonomous vehicle services may operate in their communities;

Submit a formal protest to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) regarding Waymo’s Phase I Driverless Autonomous Vehicle Deployment Program Advice letter;

Submit a formal protest to the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) regarding Waymo’s autonomous vehicle permit;

Support prohibiting driverless vehicles from operating at San Diego International Airport, in order to protect airport ground transportation workers and ensure public safety

This vote makes MTS one of the first major regional transportation agencies to formally protest autonomous vehicle deployment, while demanding a worker-center approach to transportation updates.

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