SAN DIEGO (FOX 5\/KUSI) \u2014 The San Diego MTS board passed a resolution this week to push back against self-driving vehicles in San Diego.<\/p>\n
The resolution, proposed by District 9 council member Sean Elo-Rivera, opposes the expansion of \u201cdriverless passenger vehicle services in San Diego without meaningful local oversight or regulation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Elo-Rivera acts as the chair of the Taxi Advisory Committee. Passed in a 12-1 vote, the resolution prioritizes San Diego drivers.<\/p>\n
A press release from Elo-Rivera\u2019s office reads, in part, \u201cThese 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
The decision comes in the wake of Waymo\u2019s November<\/a> announcement of plans to pilot a program in San Diego and launch autonomous vehicles soon<\/a>.<\/p>\n Restricting driverless vehicle use around the San Diego International Airport is also a key tenet of the resolution, because \u201cdrivers are already facing increasing competition and economic pressure,\u201d as stated in Elo-Rivera\u2019s press release.<\/p>\n The tenets of the adopted resolution include:<\/p>\n Urge California leaders to restore local control and the right of communities to vote on whether autonomous vehicle services may operate in their communities;<\/p>\n Submit a formal protest to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) regarding Waymo\u2019s Phase I Driverless Autonomous Vehicle Deployment Program Advice letter;<\/p>\n Submit a formal protest to the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) regarding Waymo\u2019s autonomous vehicle permit;<\/p>\n Support prohibiting driverless vehicles from operating at San Diego International Airport, in order to protect airport ground transportation workers and ensure public safety<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n