On Thursday, October 8, driver leaders with the California Gig Workers Union and their community allies rallied outside the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) meeting in Sacramento to demand greater transparency, accountability and local control over commercial autonomous vehicles (AVs). The rally came ahead of a Commission vote on new rules governing how AVs are deployed and operated on California streets.

The coalition — including rideshare drivers, public transit workers, community advocates and elected officials — is calling on the CPUC to stop giving AV corporations the green light while giving the public, local governments and workers less say over where and how these vehicles are deployed.

“I’m not here today to say I’m against self-driving cars,” said California Gig Workers Union driver leader Gurpreet Pannu, addressing the crowd. “I’m here to ask a simple question: who gets a say?”

Pannu and fellow drivers across the state are fighting to make sure the Californians who share the road with these vehicles have a voice, not just the corporations behind them.

After rallying, several drivers took their case directly to commissioners during public comment.

This protest comes amid growing concerns from cities across California over the state’s approach to autonomous vehicles.