First ‘robotaxis’ enter service in Beijing

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It looks like a normal car but the white taxi by the curb has nobody driving it, and communicates with customers digitally to obtain directions and take payment.

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Beijing this week approved its first autonomous taxis for commercial use, bringing dozens of the so-called “robotaxis” to the streets of the Chinese capital.

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The vehicles can only carry two passengers at a time and are confined to the city’s southern Yizhuang area.

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An employee of the taxi firm also sits in the front of the car in case any sudden intervention is needed, but the vehicle drives itself.

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The roll-out is a significant step forward for the driverless ambitions of Chinese tech giant Baidu and start-up Pony.ai, who were given the green light to deploy the cars on Thursday.

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But it is expected to be years before the taxis operate fully without human intervention, due to regulations and safety requirements.

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Developers are hoping Chinese consumers — who have embraced e-commerce, online payments and other digital solutions — will quickly get used to the sensation of travelling in a car without a driver.

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Pony.ai co-founder Peng Jun said the key to moving the industry forward is “policy, technology and public acceptance”.

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More than 500,000 trips have already been made in Pony.ai’s robotaxis during earlier testing stages, the Toyota-backed start-up said.

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Passengers using Baidu’s “Apollo Go” cars must download an app called “Luobo kuaipao” — meaning “radish run” — and can hail a cab at one of 600 pick-up and drop-off points.

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Sixty-seven Baidu taxis are on the roads in Beijing charging just over two yuan ($0.30) for a 5.9-kilometer journey.

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Alibaba-backed start-up AutoX and ride-hailing giant DiDi Chuxing have also been running robotaxi pilot projects in cities around the country.

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