In ramping up robotaxi service, Tesla is hoping to slingshot past Waymo, another autonomous car service that operates in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Austin, according to its website. Last week, Waymo applied for a permit to test its vehicles in New York City.

Seven Democratic lawmakers in Texas are pressing Tesla to hold off on deploying its fleet of autonomous robotaxis in Austin, just days ahead of the company’s anticipated launch. The appeal comes amid growing concern about public safety and regulatory readiness as driverless vehicles prepare to hit the roads.

Elon Musk is being asked to delay the planned rollout of driverless ‘robotaxis’ in the state this weekend, to assure that the vehicles are safe.