San Francisco lawmaker calls for ban on delivery robots

Lawmaker Norman Yee has put forward a bill to ban autonomous delivery robots from the streets and sidewalks of San Francisco.

Yee contends that the robots could pose a threat to public safety, stating that, “Our streets and our sidewalks are made for people, not robots.” He cited seniors and people with disabilities as particularly vulnerable.

Speaking to local media, he said, “This is consistent with how we operate in the city, where we don’t allow bikes or skateboards on the sidewalks.”

According to Yee, it is also a matter of the use of public spaces versus the reach of private companies: “Our public spaces should not be commercialized.” In addition, there are potential privacy issues due to cameras, possible job losses for human workers, and the risk of terrorists loading the robots with bombs.

A small handful of USA cities already allow robot deliveries. Safety precautions include live monitoring by a human who can take over manually when the robot runs into trouble, such as facing an aggressor or losing its way.

Delivery robots are currently used in San Francisco by start-up company Marble, who have stated their support for regulation that balances the needs of pedestrian safety and local business. However, Yee has deemed regulation ultimately unenforceable.

Paul Mackie of Mobility Lab in Virginia has called the proposed blanket ban “ludicrous”, stating that delivery robots would help to alleviate congestion and traffic on the roads because fewer vehicles would be required.

On the other hand, Cathy DeLuca of advocacy group Walk SF supports the legislation, commenting, ”I don’t think it’s asking too much to examine our public spaces and what we want to use them for.”

(Sources: SFGate, CityLab, Post&Parcel)