LOS ANGELES, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Uber notified in an internal email Wednesday morning, saying that the company is shutting down its self-driving car tests in state of Arizona, where one of the cars was involved in a fatal collision with a pedestrian in March.
Uber executive Eric Meyhofer wrote that since there is a public call for the suspension of Uber's self-driving program on Arizona's public roads, the company would shift its works to Pittsburgh of Pennsylvania, where the company has been testing self-driving cars since 2016, and San Francisco of California, where Uber is headquartered.
"To be clear, we are not shutting down our self-driving program. We are actively working to make our return to the road a reality with a goal of resuming operations in Pittsburgh this summer." Meyhofer said, adding "We're committed to self-driving technology and look forward to returning to public roads in the coming months."
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey ordered the driverless road tests of Uber to stop in late March after the death of a woman struck during the test accident until the crash investigation was complete. Meanwhile Uber's self-driving testing had also been halted in Pittsburgh and San Francisco.
Uber brought its test program to Arizona in December 2016 following a conflict with California. Ducey welcomed the share driving company's decision at that time, saying "While California puts the brakes on innovation and change with more bureaucracy and more regulation, Arizona is paving the way for new technology and new businesses."
"The governor's focus has always been on what's best for Arizonans and for public safety, not for any one company," Ducey's spokesman Daniel Scarpinato said Wednesday.
Local media reported that about 200 Uber employees in Arizona, many of whom are safety drivers, will lose their jobs.