Minneapolis driverless car ordinance would require human monitors

( NewsNation ) — Four Minneapolis City Council members want every driverless car operating in the city to have a human sitting behind the wheel, in an effort to protect rideshare workers .

The proposal would require autonomous vehicle companies to put a paid “safety monitor” in the driver’s seat of every car. The monitor would need a valid driver’s license and “immediate access” to the steering wheel, brake and gas pedal, according to the language of the ordinance.

If the measure is approved, companies would have to get a city operating license by next October.

More than 10,000 people drive for rideshare companies across the North Star State, according to a 2024 state study, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported.

Waymo , which is planning to expand into the Twin Cities, says the rule would effectively shut it out of Minneapolis. Adam Lane, the company’s state and local public policy manager, called it a “de facto ban on autonomous vehicles.”

It currently operates in more than a dozen U.S. metros and launched rides in San Diego, Denver and Tampa this month.

While driverless vehicles operated by companies like Waymo and Zoox drive on their own, human monitors aren’t unheard of. Waymos have cameras both inside and outside the vehicles and can be remotely monitored .

During a monthslong testing period in Texas, tech billionaire Elon Musk’s Tesla robotaxis had human safety monitors inside the vehicles.

A public hearing on the Minneapolis proposal is scheduled for Sept. 22.