Waymo’s fleet of over 300 driverless vehicles is now navigating San Francisco, adhering to traffic laws, but struggling with parking regulations. According to city records cited by the Washington Post, these autonomous vehicles accumulated 589 citations, resulting in $65,065 in fines last year, for various parking infractions, including obstructing traffic, disregarding street-cleaning restrictions, and parking in prohibited areas.

It’s worth noting that receiving a parking ticket in San Francisco can be a relatively common experience. The city issues a significant number of tickets, with approximately 1.2 million handed out last year, as reported by the San Francisco Standard. This suggests that Waymo’s vehicles are not alone in facing parking challenges in the city.

A Waymo spokesperson has stated that the company is working to address the parking issue. However, it’s likely that a comprehensive solution will only be achieved when all vehicles on the road are driverless. Currently, Waymo cars may stop in commercial loading zones to drop off passengers when alternative options are limited, or “park briefly” between trips if they are far from a Waymo facility. These decisions are similar to those made by human drivers, and it’s probable that Waymo’s vehicles will continue to make similar choices, and consequently, receive similar tickets, until driverless technology becomes ubiquitous.