By Shimei Cook
More than a year after Waymo’s driverless cars first hit Atlanta streets, the reaction from the people who share the road with them is anything but uniform.
Some riders have come to see the autonomous vehicles as just another way to get around town. Rideshare drivers see something else entirely: a threat to their livelihood.
Waymo entered the Atlanta market in June 2025 through a partnership with Uber, making the city its fifth market and its first foothold in the Southeast. The service area spans 65 square miles, covering downtown, Buckhead and the northern suburbs.
For riders like Nikita Wallace, climbing into a driverless car has become routine.
“I think it’s great,” Wallace said. “It’s really about being a little more progressive, too, as well. I mean, you can’t turn down this Jaguar, number one. So you’re riding in quality.”
Wallace argues the shift toward autonomous vehicles isn’t really optional at this point.
“It’s really about being, you know, comfortable with AI technology, you know, because we’re moving into that age,” Wallace said. “Regardless of whether you want to participate in AI, if you believe in AI, or if you’re comfortable with AI, it’s coming.”
Not everyone shares that enthusiasm. Earlier this month, rideshare drivers rallied against Waymo, arguing the growing fleet of driverless cars is cutting into their income.
Uber driver Bob Chauhan was among those who turned out to protest.
“Now, the Waymos — the rate at which they’ve been coming into this market — they could easily, within a space of the next few years, replace all drivers,” Chauhan said. “Because they don’t need bathroom breaks. They don’t need to sleep.”
Even riders who’ve taken a Waymo aren’t all sold on it. Mike Heffernan said he’d choose a human driver over the technology every time.
As rideshare drivers continue to push back, Wallace believes the discomfort will fade with time.
Waymo did not respond to a request for comment on the recent protests.
“I’d rather be with a human being, I believe, behind the wheel than with a robot, simply for the fact that I’m not taking anybody’s job away from them, and I’d rather have my money go to that person,” Heffernan said.
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