Mayor Frey vetoes city council ordinance mandating human drivers in robotaxis

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has vetoed the city council’s ordinance requiring a human to sit behind the wheel of driverless cars.

The Minneapolis City Council passed the ordinance 7-to-6 on Thursday, which mandates a special city license and requires companies to keep a person in the driver’s seat during every trip.

RELATED: Minneapolis passes ordinance limiting Waymo robotaxis by mandating human drivers; mayor to veto

Mayor Frey vetoed the ordinance on Friday, calling the council’s ordinance a “back door ban.”

Some opponents of the move, including Waymo, have said it would effectively push robotaxis out of the city and drive up costs for riders.

“I fully expect people to push back on the technology of fully auto...