New Orleans is not ready to hand its streets over to driverless cars just yet. City officials are tapping the brakes on fully autonomous robotaxis while they decide what rules should apply inside parish lines. The City Council’s Transportation Committee is considering a new ordinance that would force autonomous ride-hailing companies to get a city license before they are allowed to pull the human driver out of the front seat.
Council Weighs Local Licensing
At a recent Transportation Committee meeting, councilmembers dug into a proposal that would require autonomous ride-hailing companies to obtain a city “certificate of public necessity and convenience” before they can operate without a human operator, according to NOLA. That is the same type of permit already used by traditional taxis, pedicabs and even horse-drawn carriages.
Council Chair Eugene Green told the committee that public safety is the top concern and that members are closely watching how other cities are handling the robotaxi rollout. Supporters of the proposed license say it would give New Orleans a formal way to vet safety plans, insurance coverage and operating routes before any company flips the switch to fully driverless service.
Waymo Still Testing With Safety Drivers
Waymo quietly rolled into New Orleans in February 2025 and has been spending its time mapping streets and collecting driving data with specialists behind the wheel, as reported by GovTech. The company still needs certification from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development before it can offer driverless rides, and state officials told reporters they have not yet received a formal request.
“We need to hit the benchmarks set by our safety framework first and foremost,” a Waymo spokesperson said, according to GovTech. Translation for locals watching the cars creep around town with safety drivers: the fully driverless phase is on corporate time, not city time, at least for now.
Timeline And Licensing
City staff told the committee they expect to bring back formal licensing language later this year, but they warned that the regulatory machinery will not move overnight. Ashley Becnel, who addressed the committee, said the city likely could not make such licenses available before 2027, according to NOLA…