New Orleans proposes robotaxi permits before Waymo driverless service

New Orleans City Council President JP Morrell has introduced a proposed permit system for robotaxi operators, setting fees, safety obligations and enforcement powers before Waymo begins offering driverless rides in the city.

The measure, introduced Oct. 15, would require an annual company permit costing $7,500, plus $50 a year for each vehicle. Operators would also make quarterly payments of 50 cents for every trip beginning in New Orleans.

The proposal adapts the city’s taxicab rules for autonomous services. Morrell said the approach was meant to preserve local oversight and fee revenue while avoiding a repeat of the city’s unsuccessful conflict with the state over regulation of Uber and Lyft.

Companies would have to file public-safety and cybersecurity plans, retain collision and cybersecurity reports for city inspection, disclose how they calculate passenger fares and carry about $2 million in insurance. Each robotaxi would face an annual inspection by a state-certified mechanic.

The safety plan would have to include a round-the-clock hotline answered by an English-fluent human within one minute. That person would need the ability to operate a vehicle remotely in an emergency.

The Department of Public Works or the council could create temporary no-service geofences, including around special events. Vehicles could not idle while awaiting rides in residential areas or taxi stands, nor stop in driveways, fire lanes, bike lanes or other prohibited locations.

Operators would have to pay speeding, parking and other fines to keep operating. Violations of the proposed rules could bring a city fine of up to $1,000 and suspension or revocation of the company’s permit.

Airport service would remain subject to a separate approval by the New Orleans Aviation Board. The board could impose further conditions, including limits on passenger pickup locations at Louis Armstrong International Airport in Kenner.

In June, the council’s Transportation Committee scheduled a presentation on national autonomous-vehicle rules, the legal position on for-hire vehicles and Waymo’s local testing. The council had been considering rules intended to protect passengers and other users of public rights of way while accommodating the technology.

Waymo has operated vehicles with human employees on New Orleans streets since 2025, mapping roads and potholes, and has also tested in Jefferson Parish near the airport. The company has not announced a date for driverless rides in New Orleans. A June report said Waymo had told city leaders it planned to shift to driverless testing later this year, while public service was not expected before 2027 and would require certification from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.

Morrell called the ordinance a starting point that could change during the legislative process, and said the council could add rules once real-world operations reveal problems. The Government Affairs Committee is due to take public comment on the proposal on Oct. 27.