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Austin staff brief committee on teledriving pilots; MOU, permits and safety reporting proposed
Summary
City Transportation staff said they are negotiating an MOU with a private teledriving operator and will monitor pilot operations this spring; staff proposed a future ordinance enabling director-issued operating permits, first‑responder coordination, safety reporting and operational limits (fleet size, service area, stop behavior on comms loss).
City staff told the Mobility Committee on Feb. 12 they are preparing to formalize oversight for teledriving — remote, human‑operated vehicle control over cellular networks — by negotiating an MOU with a private operator and planning potential director rules and permitting.
Lewis Lef, assistant director at Austin Transportation and Public Works (ATPW), and Rachel Castagnolis (ATPW) explained teledriving is continuous, real‑time vehicle control by a remote human operator using video and audio feeds; because a human is driving remotely, staff said teledriving is not covered by the autonomous‑vehicle subchapter of the Texas transportation code and the city has authority to make rules for it.
Staff said they are working with a private company that expects to begin operations in the…
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