LOS ANGELES: The US state of Texas is tightening regulations for robotaxi fleets following a fatal incident in Dallas when an autonomous vehicle blocked access for firefighters during an emergency call. Rescuers were held up for over three minutes during a fatal gas explosion in late May after the car's AI system failed to move the vehicle out of the way. Another problem occurred when a gunman opened fire at a bar in central Austin in March. Ambulances rushed to the scene only to become stuck behind a Waymo that froze across the path to the crime scene while attempting a U-turn. In the end, a police officer was forced to get in the vehicle and move it, according to city records. Incidents like these are putting pressure on local lawmakers to introduce formal licensing requirements, mandatory emergency plans, public complaints services and stricter regulatory intervention powers. The new Texas law imposes stricter rules on autonomous vehicle companies operating in the state in order to satisfy these demands. US broadcaster CNN says it has identified hundreds of incidents in which robotaxis made dangerous moves on the roads and struggled with obstacles that humans instinctively handle properly. They ran red lights, drove into oncoming traffic and active crime scenes, failed to observe emergency road closures and came within inches of cyclists or pedestrians lawfully riding or just crossing the street. These are the kind of mishaps that the robotic vehicles are supposed to be programmed to avoid. In just the past two months, Waymo has recalled thousands of vehicles and halted operations in various cities after robotaxis drove into flooded streets, including in San Antonio where an unoccupied Waymo was swept away in rushing floodwaters. Waymo says its robotaxis have already made roads safer and that they are better than human