Waymo photo by Clement Proust on unsplash

The California Gig Workers Union is planning a series of rallies on Wednesday to call on lawmakers to tighten regulations on autonomous vehicles as robotaxi services continue expanding throughout the state. 

Supporters say gaps in existing state law allow remote operators overseeing autonomous vehicles to work from outside the United States without holding California driver’s licenses, while at the same time placing no limits on how many vehicles one operator can monitor at a time.

A rally will take place on March 25 at 10 a.m. at Fresno City Hall. Rallies in Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Jose are also planned Wednesday. The California Gig Workers Union, affiliated with the Service Employees International Union, won the right to collective bargaining effective Jan. 1.

Advocates argue that regulatory gaps create both safety and accountability concerns, particularly because current rules do not require remote operators to be physically available to assist emergency responders during incidents involving autonomous vehicles.

The push comes as autonomous vehicles — commonly referred to as robotaxis — become a more common sight on California roadways.

Last month, autonomous ride-hailing service Waymo began dispatching robotaxis in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, Texas and Orlando, Florida. Waymo’s robotaxis provide more than 400,000 weekly trips in the six metropolitan areas where they have been transporting passengers: Phoenix, the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Miami, Atlanta, and Austin, Texas.

In November, Waymo expanded its routes to freeways and interstates in Sarancisco, Los Angeles and Phoenix.

Waymo has a goal to surpass 1 million weekly paid trips by the end of 2026.

Coinciding with the planned rallies, San Jose Sen. Dave Cortese is expected to unveil details of proposed legislation aimed at addressing autonomous vehicle safety concerns, promoting responsible deployment of the technology and aiming to keep California roads safe.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.