Residents unable to sleep due to constant honking from robotaxis
The world’s only self-driving taxi company had to address a fleet of cars after residents raised concerns about their constant honking.
Waymo’s autonomous cars arrived in a car park in San Francisco, California, a few weeks ago, where they wait between jobs.
However, the cars were equipped with an update that caused them to beep their horns whenever another car reversed close to them.
Christopher Cherry, a resident near the car park, expressed his disappointment as the Waymo taxis disturbed the neighborhood with constant honking, making it difficult for residents to sleep.
The honking became a daily nuisance at various times, with the most disruptive instances occurring late at night and during rush hour, according to Mr. Cherry.
One resident even started livestreaming the car park on YouTube, attracting a large audience who shared her frustration with the incessant honking.
The issue was eventually resolved as the company fixed the software to minimize noise disturbances for the neighbors, according to a Waymo spokesperson.
As the cars left their car park at 4 am on Wednesday, the honking had been successfully addressed, as confirmed by Ms. Tung during her live stream.
