Uber and Lyft drivers, union members and faith leaders rallied outside Washington’s Wilson Building on Tuesday (6 October 2026) to urge the D.C. Council to reject legislation that would let driverless robotaxis pick up passengers in the capital.
Demonstrators chanted “Pump the brakes!” and “Robotaxis don’t vote. We vote.” They said autonomous fleets would cut work for human drivers and that the city should not become a “proving ground” for the technology.
What the bill would do
The fight is over the Autonomous Vehicle Deployment Authorization Amendment Act of 2026 (B26-0684), introduced by Ward 6 councillor Charles Allen with colleagues Brooke Pinto and Matthew Frumin.
As summarised by local reporting and bill trackers, the measure would create a District Department of Transportation (DDOT) programme for commercial AVs. After driverless testing, operators could move to commercial passenger service with a fleet capped at 200 vehicles until 1 January 2028, then apply to grow under a comprehensive network plan. Coverage also points to a per-mile charge on commercial AV miles, with revenue steered toward transit and workforce support for existing taxi and rideshare drivers.
Allen has framed AVs as a chance to improve traffic and consumer choice. The Council has not scheduled a floor vote; WJLA said a vote is still expected before year-end. DDOT approval would still be required for companies to operate.
Jobs, safety and the counter-message
NBC4 Washington quoted Dr Boise Kimber, president of the National Baptist Convention: “Technology should serve people, not replace people.” Pastor A.C. Durant of Tenth Street Baptist Church said it is “far more sinister when technology says to humans, you don’t need each other.” Kimber also asked who answers grieving families when a machine — not a named driver — causes harm.
WUSA9 spoke to rideshare driver and 32BJ SEIU member Helen Rainer, a single mother of four, who fears robotaxis will cut Uber and Lyft demand and spill into delivery work.
While they rallied, electronic billboard trucks circled with pro-AV messages. WUSA9 attributed those screens to DC 4 AVs and the Chamber of Progress, including claims that human error drives most crashes.
Waymo’s pitch
Waymo and Tesla have tested AVs on D.C. streets for years with a human behind the wheel. City rules still require that safety operator for testing. In July, AV executives pressed for passenger service. Waymo’s eastern U.S. public-policy lead Matthew Walsh told NBC people already ask when they can ride.
Waymo told WJLA traffic fatalities in the District remain too high and that its goal is safer roads after years of testing; if approved, it said it would work with partners to create hundreds of fleet-support jobs. It also told WUSA9 it has not seen evidence of major driver displacement where it already operates.
Why UK drivers should watch
The Washington fight is the same argument now running through Britain’s trade politics: who pays when robotaxis arrive, and who is accountable when they fail. TaxiFeed has already covered GMB’s levy-backed transition fund push and union warnings over Uber-Wayve London robotaxis. D.C.’s draft per-mile AV charge and workforce pot is one U.S. answer to that question — still unpassed, and still contested on the Wilson Building steps.