Hochul’s proposal would expand the state’s autonomous vehicle pilot program, allowing a limited number of driverless rideshare vehicles to operate outside New York City.

By Nadia Galindo

News 12 
Jan 21, 2026

View the full video and article here

Rideshare drivers are voicing concerns about a proposal that would allow limited testing of fully autonomous rideshare vehicles outside New York City.

Michele Dottin, an Ocean Hill, Brooklyn resident, has worked as a rideshare driver for 11 years.

She said the proposal threatens one of the few remaining paths to stable independent contract work.

“There are not too many places where you can be an independent contractor and still maintain a decent livelihood,” Dottin said.

Dottin worries that even a small rollout of autonomous vehicles could impact drivers’ earnings.
“Putting even one autonomous vehicle out there, those TNC drivers are going to suffer,” she said, referring to transportation network companies such as Uber and Lyft.

Hochul’s proposal would expand the state’s autonomous vehicle pilot program, allowing a limited number of driverless rideshare vehicles to operate outside New York City.

Currently, eight Waymo self-driving vehicles are being tested in the city, each with a trained specialist behind the wheel.

The Independent Drivers Guild, a union representing rideshare drivers, said it is concerned about both safety and wages.

“We are very, very concerned,” said Brendan Sexton, president of the guild. “What we’ve seen in other areas where robo-taxis have launched is a decrease in wages for workers. We’ve also seen serious safety concerns.”Sexton pointed to incidents in San Francisco last month in which Waymo vehicles lost power and blocked multiple streets.

Read full article and view the interview at: https://bronx.news12.com/rideshare-drivers-raise-concerns-over-robotaxi-proposal