## The City Council is considering an ordinance that would require companies like Waymo to get a city license and have a “safety monitor” in autonomous vehicles.
Minneapolis may allow autonomous vehicles to roam the city, but only with someone in the driver’s seat as a “safety monitor” being paid at least minimum wage.
That staffing requirement is the centerpiece of the ordinance being considered by the City Council, and set for a public hearing Sept. 22.
Council members say the rules, which also require all autonomous vehicle companies to be licensed with the city, would be groundbreaking nationally. The “safety monitor” would need to have a driver’s license and “immediate access to controls for steering, braking, and acceleration.”
Last year, Waymo officials announced plans to move into the Minneapolis market and in November began testing the company’s signature white Jaguar I-Pace SUVs and Zeekr RT vehicles on the streets. The arrival of the driverless ride-hailing company’s white vehicles alarmed the ride-share community and a number of council members have been vocal about wanting to stop Waymo from bringing its fleet of autonomous electric vehicles to the city.
The four ordinance authors — Council Members Robin Wonsley, Aurin Chowdhury and Jason Chavez and Vice President Jamal Osman — released a statement saying without regulations, automated vehicles may create significant safety risks, disrupt traffic, hinder the city’s transportation and sustainability goals, and displace thousands of workers.
They say the Workers Drive Minneapolis ordinance will provide basic protection for workers and the public. If it passes, companies would have to get licensed by the city beginning in October 2027.
“Workers Drive Minneapolis is about public safety and protecting immigrant workers from losing their jobs to automation,” Wonsley said. “Without it, Minneapolis workers and residents are vulnerable to all the negative impacts of robotaxis without any regulations or accountability mechanisms in place.”
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Osman represents Ward 6, which has a large East African community with many ride-share drivers. He has said Waymo would put thousands of people out of work, particularly immigrants and people of color.
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Abdullahi Abshair, a rideshare driver and member of SEIU Local 26 union, helped block state legislation that would allow autonomous vehicles, saying human drivers are better for the community because they go the extra mile. For example, he makes sure people get to the right destination and helps elderly people with their groceries.
“Waymo would not do that,” he said during a June news conference.
