Self-driving taxis raise concerns in China.

Attracting attention as they zip past buildings and shopping malls, self-driving taxis are slowly spreading across many Chinese cities, surprising and worrying many.

Chinese technology companies and automakers have poured billions of dollars into self-driving technology in recent years to catch up with industry leaders in the US, according to AFP . Currently, the city of Wuhan boasts one of the world's largest self-driving car networks, with a fleet of over 500 taxis that can be booked via app.

At an intersection in Wuhan's industrial zone, at least five self-driving taxis were seen passing each other amidst regular traffic. A local resident, surnamed Yang, described the scene as something out of a science fiction movie, but not everyone was as impressed. Controversy surrounding the safety of self-driving taxis erupted in April when a Huawei-developed Aito vehicle was involved in a fatal accident due to a malfunction in its automatic braking system. A minor collision between a reckless driver and a self-driving taxi in Wuhan last month further fueled concerns. Drivers at traditional taxi companies also fear being replaced by artificial intelligence, although the technology is still a long way from being fully developed.

A view from the back seat of a self-driving taxi. (Photo: AFP).

From 5 to 500

Self-driving taxis in Wuhan are part of Baidu's Apollo Go project , which first received operating licenses in the city in 2022. Initially, only five self-driving taxis transported passengers within a 13km² area ^of ​​the city of 14 million people. Now, Baidu says its self-driving taxis operate in an area of ​​3,000km² ^, more than one-third of Wuhan's total area, including a small part of the city center. Compared to Baidu, Waymo, the leading provider in the US, shares its largest operating area of ​​816km² ^, located in Arizona.

When the vehicle arrives at the pickup point, passengers scan a QR code with their phones to unlock the car door, but the front seats are blocked for safety reasons. Prices are currently drastically reduced, with a 30-minute ride costing only $5.43, nearly half the price of a regular taxi. Deng Haibing, a taxi driver in Wuhan, fears that self-driving taxi companies will push traditional drivers out of the industry through price reductions, only to raise prices later once they dominate the market. "Right now, the impact isn't too big because self-driving taxis aren't very common and can't operate everywhere yet," Deng said.

Simple, but not ready yet.

Self-driving cars represent only a tiny fraction of the tens of thousands of taxis in Wuhan. More and more Chinese cities are implementing policies to encourage self-driving services. Baidu and rival Pony.ai have been testing varying degrees of automation for years in industrial zones across the country. Shanghai licensed fully autonomous vehicles last month, and Beijing has approved the use of self-driving cars in its suburbs. Chongqing in the southwest and the tech hub Shenzhen in the south are also conducting numerous pilot projects.

According to Tom Nunlist, a technology policy analyst at Trivium China, there is still a long way to go before self-driving taxis become commonplace . Even with Apollo Go taxis in Wuhan, which can detect obstacles and stop at intersections, the ultimate responsibility for safety still rests with the driver monitoring the ride remotely. Self-driving taxis are also far from being able to replace humans. "Some passengers have disabilities and self-driving cars clearly can't help them. Also, some passengers carry bulky luggage ," driver Zhao shared.

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