Repeated incidents involving Waymo robotaxis passing stopped school buses have prompted the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to open an investigation, TechCrunch reported on Thursday. The probe will focus on more than 20 violations in Austin, Texas. NTSB investigators will be dispatched to gather information on the ground. An initial report will be released within 30 days, and a final report is expected within 12 to 24 months.

The probe is the NTSB's first investigation involving Waymo, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is also conducting a separate investigation into the same issue. Waymo announced in December last year that it would address the problem through a software update. Violations continued afterward, and the Austin school district asked Waymo to suspend operations during student drop-off and pick-up times.

Waymo is expanding its business after recently launching a robotaxi service in Miami. Mauricio Pena (모리시오 페냐), Waymo's chief safety officer, said it safely handles thousands of encounters with school buses each week across the United States and there were no collisions in the incidents. He claimed it performs better than human drivers.

The NTSB is not a regulator and cannot impose fines or penalties, but it is likely to identify the root cause through an in-depth investigation and issue recommendations, TechCrunch reported.