By Chris Kirkham (Reuters) -A group of Democratic Texas lawmakers has asked Tesla to delay its much-anticipated robotaxi launch in Austin until September, when a new autonomous-driving law is scheduled to take effect.

Tesla is preparing to launch its first fleet of fully driverless “robotaxis” in Austin as early as next week. However, a group of Texas lawmakers is asking the company to hit pause, arguing that the technology is not yet ready and that the launch should be delayed until new statewide safety regulations take effect.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently indicated that a soft launch could begin as early as this Sunday. The incoming legislation, currently awaiting the governor's signature, would introduce a permitting framework for self-driving vehicles and give the state authority to revoke those permits if safety concerns arise.