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| Uber halts California self-driving cars test | Uber halts California self-driving cars test |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| Ride-sharing firm Uber has suspended its test of self-driving cars in San Francisco after regulators revoked the registration of the vehicles. | Ride-sharing firm Uber has suspended its test of self-driving cars in San Francisco after regulators revoked the registration of the vehicles. |
| Passengers had recently been given the option of a booking a self-driving vehicle. | |
| But authorities had threatened legal action if Uber did not obtain a special permit to test the cars. | But authorities had threatened legal action if Uber did not obtain a special permit to test the cars. |
| Uber argues that because they came with a safety driver and are not fully autonomous, the permit was not needed. | Uber argues that because they came with a safety driver and are not fully autonomous, the permit was not needed. |
| "We're now looking at where we can redeploy these cars, but remain 100% committed to California and will be redoubling our efforts to develop workable statewide rules," Uber said. | "We're now looking at where we can redeploy these cars, but remain 100% committed to California and will be redoubling our efforts to develop workable statewide rules," Uber said. |
| San Francisco is Uber's second trial city for the new technology. In Pittsburgh, the company has been running its driverless trial since September and has not required special permits. | San Francisco is Uber's second trial city for the new technology. In Pittsburgh, the company has been running its driverless trial since September and has not required special permits. |
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| Not yet fully autonomous | Not yet fully autonomous |
| Although the cars are promoted as "self-driving", they must constantly be monitored by an actual driver who can take control any time the software should fail. | Although the cars are promoted as "self-driving", they must constantly be monitored by an actual driver who can take control any time the software should fail. |
| Uber says its technology is not sophisticated enough to have cars continuously drive by themselves - and therefore the permit demanded in San Francisco is not needed. | Uber says its technology is not sophisticated enough to have cars continuously drive by themselves - and therefore the permit demanded in San Francisco is not needed. |
| But regulators say that 20 other companies testing self-driving technology in California - including Google, Tesla and Ford - do so with the special permit which requires the firms to report any accidents to the authorities. This potentially undermines the company's reputation, as the reports are available to the public. | But regulators say that 20 other companies testing self-driving technology in California - including Google, Tesla and Ford - do so with the special permit which requires the firms to report any accidents to the authorities. This potentially undermines the company's reputation, as the reports are available to the public. |
| Just before the city's Department of Motor Vehicles threatened Uber with legal action over the missing permit, a video of an Uber self-driving vehicle running a red light in San Francisco had been uploaded to YouTube. | Just before the city's Department of Motor Vehicles threatened Uber with legal action over the missing permit, a video of an Uber self-driving vehicle running a red light in San Francisco had been uploaded to YouTube. |
| The trials are designed for the firm to identify flaws and glitches in the technology behind the autonomous driving. | The trials are designed for the firm to identify flaws and glitches in the technology behind the autonomous driving. |