Toronto Considers Banning Sidewalk Robots

Toronto city council (Canada) is considering a ban on mobile robots that travel on sidewalks and bike lanes.

The provision was originally proposed by Toronto's Accessibility Advisory Committee. The committee expressed concern that sidewalk robots pose a danger to people with mobility or visual impairments, as well as to older adults and children.

If adopted, the provision would ban all robots that use anything other than muscle power, are automated or remotely controlled, and do not carry passengers. Violators would face a fine of $150. 

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee has already approved the provision. Council is expected to vote on putting it into effect on December 15.

Robotics companies are already responding to the possible changes. Tiny Mile, a company operating delivery robots in Toronto, announced in its Instagram post that it has decided to temporarily remove its robots from the city.

The company said: "Whether it's providing services that improve life for people with disabilities or reducing emissions in delivery services, we believe our technology should play a role in the Toronto of tomorrow. That is why, in a spirit of goodwill and a desire to do the right thing, we are temporarily removing all of our robots from the streets, so we have time to work with authorities and the accessibility community to demonstrate the safety mechanisms we have implemented and to get feedback on product improvements." 

The company also noted that it is very interested in working with the accessibility community, and therefore invites people with direct knowledge and experience who would be interested in shaping its technology to help Tiny Mile not only make the robots safer for the whole community but also bring greater benefits to people with disabilities. 

Tiny Mile's small pink delivery robots, nicknamed Jeffrey, began making deliveries in Toronto in September 2020. The robots are not autonomous and are remotely operated by human operators many kilometers away.

The ban is a response to a decade-long pilot provision. That provision would have allowed robots to operate on sidewalks with certain conditions. Robots could not travel faster than 10 km/h, would have to display the operator's name and contact details, and would need sound signals, reflectors with headlights, brakes, insurance, and would have to yield to pedestrians.

Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam told city council in a letter about the ban: "We want to remove external barriers so that people can take part in public life. For people who face obstacles and disabilities, our task is to ensure this community has a voice on city council. This pilot project would become another dangerous threat in public space for people with mobility or visual impairments, or those using mobile devices, as well as for children and older residents." 

David Lepofsky, chair of the Ontario Accessibility Act Alliance for people with disabilities, believes even these measures are insufficient. He is concerned about all the dangerous situations that could arise for people with disabilities and even for those without them.

"This includes everything from a robot that may end up in your path or become a tripping hazard while you walk, to a fallen robot that could still move and injure you. If you have a guide dog or a child with you, they could also be hurt," Lepofsky said. 

Toronto city council is not the first governing body to consider restrictions on delivery robots. In December 2017, San Francisco voted to ban delivery robots from most sidewalks and significantly limited their use in permitted areas. The ban prevented robotics companies from using robots for sidewalk deliveries in San Francisco until 2019, when Postmates received the city's first permit to test sidewalk deliveries.

Earlier this month, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) challenged Cruise's application to deploy an autonomous robotaxi system in San Francisco.

Cruise received permission from the California DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) in October to offer public rides, and the company's first driverless taxi launched in November. However, the SFMTA said Cruise taxis illegally double-parked during testing. The California Public Utilities Commission will ultimately decide whether Cruise can charge for public rides.

Other cities and states have taken a different approach to sidewalk robots. In 2017, Virginia became the first state to legalize sidewalk robots. In 2020, the state updated its laws to allow heavier robots to operate on sidewalks and roads if a sidewalk is unavailable. Robots may travel up to 16 km/h on sidewalks and up to 40 km/h on roads.

Pennsylvania legalized sidewalk robots in November 2020. Under state law, sidewalk robots are considered pedestrians and may travel at speeds of up to 19 km/h. To date, 21 states have legalized sidewalk robots in one form or another.