Austin ISD asks Waymo to stop driverless vehicles near school buses after 24 violations

January 16, 2026

Austin Independent School District has formally asked Waymo to stop operating its driverless cars near district school buses after finding 24 violations tied to interactions with buses. District officials delivered the request on Wednesday, saying the pattern of incidents poses safety concerns for students and bus operations.

Waymo told the district it rolled out a software update in November and performed a software recall in December, measures the company said were intended to address the issue. Despite those changes, AISD reports it continues to observe violations in areas where student buses operate, and it wants the company to pause autonomous activity around buses until the problems are resolved.

District leaders have focused on preventing risks during student drop-off and pickup times, and they say the repeated incidents warrant immediate action. School bus drivers and transportation staff flagged specific encounters that prompted the review, and AISD now seeks a temporary halt to give both sides time to investigate and confirm fixes.

Waymo has previously notified the public about its software adjustments, but AISD maintains it is still seeing noncompliant behavior from the vehicles on routes that serve Austin students. The district did not announce enforcement steps beyond the request, but officials stressed they will continue monitoring vehicle interactions with buses while discussions with the company continue.

Parents and school personnel expressed concerns about safety on neighborhood streets and near school loading zones, and AISD said it will keep coordinating with Waymo and other partners to protect students. The district said it expects Waymo to address the remaining issues before allowing autonomous operations near school buses to resume.

Both AISD and Waymo remain engaged on the matter, and the district said it will provide updates as it assesses whether the company's technical fixes eliminate the violations. For now, school officials are urging caution and asking for a temporary suspension of driverless vehicle activity near bus routes until they are satisfied with the outcome.