Waymo was slapped with nearly 600 parking tickets last year in SF alone

Waymo currently operates over 300 autonomous vehicles in San Francisco, providing transportation services to passengers. However, while these vehicles adhere to traffic regulations, their parking behavior leaves much to be desired. According to city records referenced by the Washington Post, Waymo’s driverless cars received a total of 589 citations last year, amounting to $65,065 in fines for various parking violations such as obstructing traffic, violating street-cleaning restrictions, and parking in restricted zones.

It’s worth noting that receiving a parking ticket in San Francisco is incredibly common, with approximately 1.2 million tickets issued last year alone, as reported by the San Francisco Standard.

A Waymo spokesperson informed The Post that the company is actively working on addressing the parking issue. However, it is likely that a permanent solution will only be achieved when all vehicles are fully autonomous. Currently, Waymo cars may temporarily stop in commercial loading zones to drop off passengers when faced with limited alternatives such as congested main roads or distant parking spots. They may also briefly park between trips if they are far from a Waymo facility. These decisions mirror the choices made by human drivers on a regular basis, and until autonomous vehicles become the norm, Waymo’s vehicles may continue to face similar challenges and receive parking citations.