This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
Alphabet (GOOGL, Financials), the technology company that owns Google and autonomous-driving business Waymo, has racked up over $9,000 in parking tickets in Austin, Texas, since debuting its robotaxi service there in 2024.Waymo vehicles were issued 83 tickets for a total of $9,325, according to a Wall Street Journal story quoted by Seeking Alpha. The corporation has spent $7,433 and still owes $1,892 as of mid-July.The majority of the citations were for parking in tow-away zones, 64 infractions. Waymo was also cited 13 times for parking in expired meters, nine times for double parking and one time for a disabled-parking offense with a fine of $519.While the dollar amount is minor compared with the financial magnitude of Alphabet, the offenses suggest practical concerns for autonomous vehicles in congested metropolitan environments.Robotaxis have to react to road limits, temporary halting laws and directions from police, firefighters and other first responders. U.S. regulators are still examining how autonomous vehicles deal with such circumstances safely.The citations might also add scrutiny to Waymo as it branches out into additional cities and increases the amount of driverless rides.Investors will now be looking for Waymo’s response, any changes in its parking behavior and further regulatory advice for autonomous vehicle operations.
