Cruise relaunches taxi service in Dallas with drivers behind the wheel

Robotaxi company Cruise has relaunched a trial run of its services in Dallas while trying to rebuild its reputation after one of its driverless cars in San Francisco dragged a pedestrian 20 feet .

Why it matters: The GM subsidiary is using Dallas and Phoenix as its proving ground for resuming autonomous service.

The latest: Cruise soft-launched a return to Dallas Monday using human drivers in vehicles without autonomous systems engaged, per a memo to City Council members.

• The company calls Dallas " on the forefront of innovation ."

Catch up fast: Cruise did not share full details of an Oct. 2 incident in San Francisco, where a pedestrian was struck by another car and thrown into the path of a robotaxi, which also hit and dragged her.

• California suspended two of the company's permits , prohibiting Cruise from operating autonomous taxis there.
• Cruise also paused driverless service in Texas.
• The company then fired nine of its top leaders. At the end of last year, the startup canceled its expansion plans and laid off a quarter of its staff .

Zoom in: In April, Cruise told Dallas city staff that it was analyzing resuming autonomous taxi service in town. The company briefed city leaders on the safety procedures put in place since October.

• The company will operate in a limited area before expanding its trial service in northwest Dallas and parts of northeast Dallas near the Park Cities, per the city memo.

Reality check: The city can't regulate autonomous vehicle operations. A 2017 state law allows motor vehicles with automated driving systems to operate in Texas without a human operator.

The bottom line: Cruise is using drivers to make maps and assess road conditions in the cities where it plans to relaunch before resuming autonomous operations.

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