Nevada Caps Tesla’s Vegas ‘Robotaxi’ Fleet At 10 — It Asked for 5,000

Image: Electrek

Nevada’s Transportation Authority granted Tesla a permit to run driverless vehicles in Las Vegas last month and capped the fleet at 10 cars. Tesla’s application had asked for 5,000.

The permit also confines Tesla to an approved stretch of the Strip, bans pickups at Harry Reid International Airport, and limits the vehicles to 45 mph.

Tesla Robotaxi, LLC filed docket 26-05015 with the Nevada Transportation Authority in early June, seeking an Autonomous Vehicle Network Company permit. The application covered all of Clark County and requested authority for up to 5,000 vehicles during the first 12 months. It specifically named Harry Reid International Airport and Henderson Executive Airport as pickup locations.

The Authority signed off on July 27. Ten fully autonomous vehicles, operating only inside a geofence the regulator has to approve, with a 45 mph ceiling and no airport service.

There are conditions beyond the fleet cap. Every vehicle has to be labeled “robotaxi,” passengers have to be told they’re riding driverless, and the trips require “appropriate human supervision.” Growing the fleet past 10 means going back to the Authority for a new approval.

Nevada regulators haven’t publicly explained how a 5,000-vehicle request became a 10-vehicle permit.

Amazon’s Zoox holds AVNC Permit 001 in Nevada. Its most recent amendment, issued July 16, eleven days before Tesla’s, authorizes a “fleet limited to no more than one hundred (100) vehicles.” Zoox is currently running roughly 50 on the Strip and started charging for rides this month after clearing its federal hurdle.

Waymo filed its own Nevada application in June, docket 26-06007. Uber’s Aviari Services subsidiary filed in July. Both are pending, and Waymo already went fully driverless in Las Vegas in early July.

Tesla is the third autonomous operator to reach the Strip, and it showed up asking for the biggest allocation by a factor of 50.

Source: Electrek

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Image: Government Accountability Office

According to a U.S. GAO report, pursuant to Congress' direction in 2023's Sami's Law, data from major ridehailing companies reveals that serious physical and sexual assaults are statistically rare - occurring in roughly 1 in 500,000 rides according to data from major rideshare providers like Uber and Lyft.  The Los Angeles and Chicago police departments found that approximately 0.3% of verified and reported assaults occurred in a ridehail or taxi vehicle.

Ridehail companies have adopted features to make customers feel safer, including allowing customers to request a female driver. Rider-verification programs and in-app video recording are examples of solutions designed to improve driver safety. Taxi operators report that they prefer driving in vehicles with partitions and cameras; however, the expense is a factor in their adoption.

Source: Government Accountability Office

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California Regulators Approve New Rules Limiting What Replacement Tires You Can Buy for Your Car

California regulators on Monday approved new rules that will restrict what tires you can buy when it's time to replace them on your car. In a unanimous vote, the California Energy Commission voted to adopt new rules that will phase out the sale of replacement tires that don't meet certain energy efficiency standards. "This ultimately is about protecting consumers," said David Hochschild, the chairman of the California Energy Commission. "I see this as sheltering the public from higher costs in the long run." Tire manufacturers and the commission's staff are at odds over whether this will add to the cost of living in the state. Both sides acknowledged this will no longer allow the sale of a significant portion of the tires currently sold in California.

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NY Judge Delivers Blow to Uber Injury Lawsuit

A New York federal judge has dismissed an Uber injury lawsuit accusing personal injury lawyers and doctors of working together to inflate or fabricate injury claims. U.S. District Judge Orelia Merchant in Brooklyn dismissed Uber Technologies Inc.’s case against three law firms and other defendants. The ruling creates a setback for Uber as it pursues a broader legal strategy against lawyers involved in personal injury cases. Uber alleged that the firms conspired with doctors to bring exaggerated injury claims against the rideshare company. The company argued that the alleged conduct violated the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO.

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Governor Morrisey Announces $4.2M Plan to Improve Healthcare Transportation Access in WV

Governor Patrick Morrisey revealed two new investments totaling approximately $4.2 million via West Virginia's Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) to improve healthcare transportation access for rural West Virginians. According to a press release from the West Virginia Office of the Governor, the two opportunities are offered through the Rural Health Link (RHL) initiative, and along with addressing transportation barriers to access healthcare, will also streamline coordination throughout the state's healthcare system.

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Feds Begin Official Repeal of EVAS with No Alternative Mandates in Sight

The government of Canada has announced the start of the process to officially repeal the Electric Vehicle Availability Standard (EVAS). The regulation mandated all new passenger vehicle sales in Canada be zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) by 2035.  Posted to the Canada Gazette on Friday, the proposal for amendment has a 75-day public comment period.  What wasn’t announced, however, was a replacement to promote ZEV uptake in the country. 

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VIA Rail Canada Starts Development of Multimodal Airport Hub, Construction in 2027

VIA Rail Canada Inc. has launched the co-development phase of the Dorval Multimodal Hub in Dorval on the west side of Montreal. The new integrated station will serve VIA Rail; exo, the Montreal-area transit network; and the shuttle service to YUL Montreal-Trudeau International Airport. The hub will be located on the current exo site, integrating shuttle service to the airport and aligning connections with the larger VIA Rail network. The Dorval terminus is operated by the Societe de transport de Montreal, or STM. "By better connecting passenger rail, public transit and air travel, this project will increase the efficiency of the travel experience while making journeys smoother, more accessible and more sustainable," said Canada Minister of Transport Steven MacKinnon in a press release.

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Unlicensed Rideshare Driver Hit with 12 Charges and $7,560 in Fines — What It Means for Your Next Ride

A rider books what looks like a routine trip home. The app shows a driver, a car and a price. Everything about the experience mirrors a licensed rideshare trip — except, in a growing number of Canadian cases, it isn’t one. In April, North Bay, ON police laid 12 charges against a man accused of running an unlicensed vehicle-for-hire operation, adding up to $7,560 in fines under the city bylaw covering taxis, limousines and rideshare services. It’s the kind of enforcement action that’s become familiar across Canada over the past two years, and it points to a gap many riders never think about until something goes wrong: not every ride that looks like a licensed rideshare trip actually is one. With ride-hailing now a daily habit for millions of Canadians, that gap matters more than ever.

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Autonomous Electric Freight Trucks Scaling Up in Europe

There’s so much attention on robotaxis and so many companies trying to lead this sector, but there seems to be relatively little news on autonomous long-distance trucking. That seems somewhat surprising since one would think autonomous long-distance trucking would be easier than unpredictable urban taxi service, and might also be significantly more lucrative. Anyway, that’s not to say no one is attempting to crack this nut. For example, in Europe, we’ve got Einride. Last week, Einride and DAF Trucks partnered on a joint initiative to integrate Einride’s autonomous driving system, which is called Einride Driver, into DAF’s premium vehicle platform. Autonomous trucking at scale? We’ll see.

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Gett Introduces Private Hire Option As Freenow by Lyft Integration Moves Closer

Gett by Lyft is introducing a private hire vehicle option to its app this week as the taxi platform prepares for its future integration with Freenow by Lyft. In a message sent to drivers, the Gett UK team said London’s licensed black cabs would remain its priority and continue to appear as the primary option presented to app users. Access to the new PHV service will initially be restricted to a limited group of customers. Gett said the controlled rollout would allow it to monitor the effect on existing black cab bookings.

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Petition Calls for British Airports to Scrap Expensive Passenger Drop Off Charges

A growing campaign is urging government ministers and airport authorities across the United Kingdom to abolish drop-off fees, arguing that the charges unfairly penalise families, holidaymakers and professional drivers. Launched by Mugdim Mujakovic, the petition demands that airports provide free or low-cost options for brief passenger stops, rather than charging motorists substantial fees just to let someone out before a flight. Organisers estimate that drop-off fees collectively generate more than £100 million annually across the country, with major hubs such as Heathrow charging £7 and Gatwick Airport charging £10.

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RTS Link’s Bukit Chagar Station to Connect Directly to KTM Trains, Buses and Taxis: Malaysia Transport Minister

Passengers using the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link will have more direct access to other forms of public transport, as Malaysian authorities seek to improve traffic dispersal around the Bukit Chagar terminus ahead of the cross-border service's opening. An anticipated public train-bus system to absorb an expected increase in commuters will, however, not be ready as the government is still working on the details, said Malaysia Transport Minister Anthony Loke on Tuesday (Aug 18).

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Skyports Lays Groundwork for Kuwait Air Taxis

Skyports Infrastructure is expanding its Middle East advanced air mobility (AAM) strategy into Kuwait through a new partnership with telecommunications and smart infrastructure company Knetco. The two companies have signed a strategic memorandum of understanding covering vertiport development, market development and stakeholder engagement as they explore future commercial opportunities in Kuwait. The deal gives Skyports a local infrastructure partner as it looks to establish what the companies describe as Kuwait’s first AAM ecosystem. Knetco has operated in Kuwait since 1989 and works across telecommunications infrastructure, smart cities, digital systems and infrastructure operations.

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Mauritius Digitalises Taxi Licensing

Mauritius has launched an online Motor Vehicle Licence (MVL) system for taxi operators to digitalise public transport administration. The Ministry of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation and the Ministry of Land Transport developed the portal, enabling operators to renew licences and pay road tax digitally. Some 3 000 of the nation's 7 800 licensed taxi drivers have already registered on the platform.

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Brett Barenholtz, President of the NLA

The National Limousine Association (NLA) and the University Transportation Research Center at The City College of New York (UTRC) have unveiled preliminary findings from a national study of illegal and unlicensed ground transportation operators across the United States.

Presented at the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) Convention in Chicago, the findings point to a hidden duty-of-care risk for business travelers. Illegal operators use professional websites, social media and private messaging groups to mimic licensed professional private car service providers. Airports, hotels, convention centers and major events are recurring hotspots, while off-app and unlicensed trips can create gaps in commercial insurance, traveler tracking, driver verification and emergency response.

"Duty of care does not end when an employee leaves the airport terminal," said Brett Barenholtz, President of the National Limousine Association. "Companies need confidence that the provider, vehicle and driver transporting their people are safe, properly licensed and fully insured. As illegal operators become more sophisticated, verification must keep pace."

From Left: Suzanne Neufang, CEO of GBTA; Matt Daus, IATR President; and Matt Assolin, co-chair of the NLA Legislative Committee on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Led by Matthew W. Daus, IATR President, the study examines 17 major aviation and business travel markets: Atlanta; Boston; Charlotte; Chicago; Dallas/Fort Worth; Detroit/Fort Wayne; Denver; Houston; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Miami; Minneapolis/St. Paul; New York; Orlando; Phoenix; San Francisco; and Seattle.

Preliminary Findings

The study's early findings include:

• Illegal for-hire activity is evolving from street solicitation into organized, technology-enabled networks.
• Airports, hotels, conventions and major events are recurring hotspots, and off-app trips may fall outside standard insurance and platform protections.
• Passengers may be transported without verified driver screening, vehicle inspections or reliable trip records.
• Illegal operators avoid licensing, insurance, tax and airport-access costs required of legitimate providers.
• Fragmented enforcement can produce unclear jurisdiction and inconsistent penalties.

The preliminary legal review also identified at least seven states with laws expressly criminalizing rideshare or transportation network company driver impersonation: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

"Illegal transportation is no longer only a curbside problem," said Daus. "It is a technology, jurisdiction and public-safety issue requiring coordinated enforcement, verification tools and updated laws."

Source: StreetInsider

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