Uber and Waymo’s Robotaxi Fight Moves to Washington, D.C.

A proposed bill that would allow autonomous vehicles to operate in Washington, D.C. has become a test case for Uber’s broader robotaxi strategy. The bill would update the District’s Autonomous Vehicle Act of 2012 to allow driverless testing and commercial driverless operations.

Today, companies such as Waymo and Zoox can test autonomous vehicles in D.C., but only with a human safety operator behind the wheel. The measure is drawing attention because its local rules could influence how other cities and states think about robotaxi deployment.

Uber opposes the bill and argues it could displace for-hire human drivers while giving Waymo a de facto monopoly. The company is lobbying for a hybrid model that would require robotaxis to operate on a ride-hailing network that also uses human drivers.

Waymo backs the bill and says it would allow safe deployment of autonomous vehicles while supporting public transit, equitable access, and workers without restricting companies like Uber. Waymo also disputes Uber’s interpretation that the bill would effectively ban hybrid networks.

The proposed bill would give the District Department of Transportation authority to issue driverless testing and deployment permits to AV developers that meet certain requirements. Those include at least $5 million in liability insurance and crash-data reporting deadlines of either eight hours or 72 hours, depending on the vehicle type.

The bill also includes a $0.15-per-mile tax on robotaxi operators, with revenue split between public transit and education and workforce development for rideshare and taxi drivers at risk of job loss. Other proposed costs include a $1 million application fee and a non-refundable $5 million permit fee once approved.

The hearing list shows how broad the stakes are: Tesla, Lyft, the Teamsters, SEIU, disability rights and accessibility advocates, local business groups, safety proponents, government officials, and think tanks are all part of the debate.

Uber and Waymo have a complicated history that includes a 2017 trade-secret lawsuit, a settlement, and later robotaxi partnerships. Waymo vehicles became available through Uber’s app in Phoenix in 2023, though that partnership quietly ended in May; the companies also partnered in Austin and Atlanta.

Recent tensions have become more public as Uber executives criticized Waymo incidents and emphasized regulator concerns about how AVs interact with school zones, firefighters, and power outages. The conflict now appears likely to extend beyond Washington, D.C., with both companies preparing for broader regulatory fights in other cities and states.