Complaint alleges Waymo illegally transported minors in driverless vehicles

A complaint filed with state regulators alleges Waymo has been illegally transporting unaccompanied minors in violation of its state permit and could ultimately be taken to court if either side challenges the outcome, an attorney said Thursday.

The complaint, filed Tuesday with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), accuses Waymo of routinely allowing children under 18 to ride alone in its driverless vehicles, despite an explicit prohibition under state rules governing autonomous passenger services.

The filing was brought by the California Gig Workers Union and affiliated Service Employees International Union locals, who represent Uber and Lyft drivers statewide. The groups are asking regulators to investigate the alleged violations and potentially suspend Waymo's operating authority in California.

Waymo and its in-house counsel, Mari Davidson, were contacted for comment but did not respond by press time.

An attorney for Service Employees International Union, Scott A. Kronland of Altshuler Berzon LLP, said in a phone call Thursday that the union had asked for fines of $5,000 per infraction but did not know the number of incidents.

"If Waymo can't operate within the rules, then it shouldn't be operating," Kronland said. "The CPUC prohibits Uber and Lyft from transporting unaccompanied minors and prohibits Waymo. There shouldn't be special treatment. If they're violating their permit, they should be subject to the same kind of discipline that would apply to an Uber or Lyft driver."

"If a party doesn't like what the CPUC decides, you can get a court review of the decision," Kronland added.

At issue is CPUC Decision D.20-11-046, which governs autonomous ride-hailing services and states that "no one under 18 may travel unaccompanied" in such vehicles.

Union leaders argue that Waymo has failed to enforce that rule as it expands service in major markets including San Francisco and Los Angeles.

"Letting minors ride alone in driverless vehicles is a real concern," said Hector Castellanos, an Uber and Lyft driver and parent from Antioch, in a statement released alongside the complaint. "If something goes wrong, there's no one there to protect them."

Kronland said anecdotal evidence and reports from the New York Times and the San Francisco Chronicle describing parents increasingly using Waymo vehicles to transport teenagers alone helped build the complaint.

The complaint also points to Waymo's own acknowledgment in regulatory proceedings that it is aware adults are booking rides for unaccompanied minors.

According to the filing, Waymo's conduct may violate its CPUC permit and its own passenger safety plan, which requires riders to be at least 18 or accompanied by an adult.

The unions are asking the CPUC to determine whether Waymo has breached its obligations, whether it has implemented adequate safeguards such as age verification, and what enforcement measures are necessary.

The complaint also calls for mandatory age-verification systems, stricter account controls, and regular compliance reporting to regulators.

Union officials framed the issue as one of fairness across the ride-hailing industry, noting that human drivers for companies like Uber and Lyft can face deactivation for transporting minors without authorization.

The filing comes as the CPUC is already considering whether to allow autonomous vehicle companies to transport unaccompanied minors under certain conditions in the future. For now, however, the prohibition remains in place.

Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., operates driverless ride-hailing services in multiple California cities and has been expanding rapidly. The company has not yet publicly responded to the complaint.

The case is expected to proceed as an adjudicatory matter, with a prehearing conference anticipated within weeks and a potential hearing later this year, according to the filing.