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Austin looks into agreement with teledriving company
You've seen self-driving cars around Austin, but the city could soon have cars that are remotely driven by a person behind a screen.
AUSTIN, Texas - You've seen self-driving cars around Austin, but the city could soon have cars that are remotely driven by a person behind a screen.
This wouldn't be a rideshare service. You would rent a car through an app, and a remote driver will drive it to you and drive it back when you're done with it.
What is teledriving?
The backstory:
Teledriving, unlike autonomous vehicles (AVs), means a driver is in a unit that has live video and controls. Video and audio from the vehicle is communicated to the remote driver, who relays commands.
Teledriving is getting some mixed reactions from people.
"It depends on how much they can see in the roadway. I mean, and if they're from Austin, are they going to be in Austin? I don't care for autonomous cars, so I don't think I'm going to have a much better experience with the remote ones. We'll have to see," Tracy Nunn, an Austin resident, said.
"Sometimes people are bad drivers, and maybe remote drivers are better, but who knows. It weirds me out just a little," Marciana Gillespie, who's visiting Austin, said.
In a presentation at the Mobility Committee meeting, the city says in a month or so, they anticipate finalizing an agreement with a teledriving company. They are not naming which one yet.
In Las Vegas, the technology is up and running with a company called Vay. City staff say remote drivers will be in an office, so it's not a work-from-home job. There will be backup power sources in case there's a failure.
What's next:
In the spring and summer, staff will monitor operations. In the summer and fall, the City Council could approve an ordinance for teledriving that would mirror the state's AV laws. There are no teledriving laws in Texas right now.
For AVs, state law requires permits. Applications from companies have to show how to communicate with support staff and how to safely get the car out of traffic.
Proposed city rules for teledriving would require safety reports, and the city could restrict where the vehicles operate. The company would have to provide training for first responders.
The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin's Angela Shen