CA Allows Self-Driving Passenger Cars (But Only for Free)
Alrighty, dear readers, how was your commute today?
Well, there’s a good chance that it’s going to be getting better in the near future. The California Public Utilities Commission has voted to approve a few pilot programs in California for driver-less cars to carry passengers.
In true California spirit, the commission has not allowed the companies to charge money for the service (at least for now).
Quoting from the SF Examiner article, Commissioner Liane Randolph opined that “the free rides will signal to the public that the pilot program is ‘different from ordinary transportation,’ which will hopefully encourage the public to be ‘more mindful of their experiences and provide critical feedback to the Commission and the permit-holders.’”
Well, driver-less cars are either safe or they aren’t, whether they are free or not will not make them safer or more dangerous. But in any case this is progress in the right direction. Making driverless cars available for passenger transport is going to eliminate a huge cost in the industry: the driver. All of UBER and LYFT’s woes of litigating employee vs. independent contractor issues, unions, and minimum wage will all disappear.
Furthermore, the cost of the service should drop dramatically, which will make it more accessible to those who need it.
In terms of the workers’ compensation world, as driverless cars become the norm, we can see fewer costs in providing transportation to injured workers for medical appointments, depositions, or exams.
As automation of this type continues apace, we can also see a shift in the type of labor needed in California. Instead of hours spent on driving the cars, the demand will likely be for more skilled labor in assembling, maintaining, and repairing the automobiles.
So, about that commute – how much would you be willing to pay if you didn’t have to drive, but could spend the time working, sleeping, or relaxing and staring out the window? Would you pay $10 per day for an extra two hours of relatively free time? Well, the way things are going it looks like that may indeed be an option in the near future.