Vemo today announced that it plans to launch a fully independent robotics service in New York City.
The alphabetical company said it had applied for a permit with the city’s Department of Transportation to test its vehicles with security drivers. If it was granted, it would be the first permit to be allowed under the city’s new process to manage independent test vehicles. When it waits, Vemo says he will begin collecting maping data with manual -driven vehicles in Manhattan next month.
According to the city’s AV testing website, under the law of New York State, “a test vehicle operator is available and ready to control the vehicle while AV technology is underway.” Vemo said he was actively lobbying to change the law to allow autonomous vehicles without security drivers.
According to a New York State law, “a test vehicle operator is available and ready to control the vehicle while AV technology is underway.”
Earlier this year, a bill was introduced in the state legislature of New York that allow sovereign vehicles without protective drivers “provided the driving system is busy and the vehicle meets certain conditions.” This bill is currently under consideration of the State Senate Transportation Committee.
New York City is also in the world’s most dangerous, crowded and poor managed streets. He is full of construction workers, pedestrians, cyclists, and double and sometimes even triple parked cars. The theory, it will make it very difficult to navigate an independent vehicle, provided AVS usually relies on good weather, clear indicators, and other other users of the other road with safe operation. And it is unclear whether the state will amend its rules so that the driverless vehicles can be allowed to be allowed, some legislators expressed reservations.
“In other parts of the country, such tests have not been completed,” State Sen John Liu said. Daily News Last year, the city announced the process of its new permit. “New York City will have to wait to see some of the other results of driverless technology in low -dense urban settings. This is an example of something where New York City should not be before.”
While other states have become hotbed for AV testing, New York has been a bit of a past city. Part of this cause may be the strict rules of the state, which actually requires the police escort of autonomous test vehicles – though the language was removed several years ago after the law was renewed.
Vemo is currently running a robotics fleet of 1,500 vehicles in four markets: San Francisco and Bay Area, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Austin. Miami and Washington, DC are also planning to start trade services in Atlanta later this year. The company has said it will add an additional 2,000 vehicles to its fleet during 2026.
