First ‘robotaxis’ enter service in Beijing

28 Nov 2021, 01:44 PM IST1/5​Robotaxis or a normal car?It looks like a normal car but the white taxi by the kerb has nobody driving it, and communicates with customers digitally to obtain directions and take payment.AFPBeijing this week approved its first autonomous taxis for commercial use, bringing dozens of the so-called ‘robotaxis’ to the streets of the Chinese capital.AFPThe vehicles can only carry two passengers at a time and are confined to the city’s southern Yizhuang area. 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.AFPThe 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. But it is expected to be years before the taxis operate fully without human intervention, due to regulations and safety requirements.AFPMore than 500,000 trips have already been made in Pony.ai’s robotaxis during earlier testing stages. Sixty-seven Baidu taxis are on the roads in Beijing charging just over two yuan ($0.30) for a 5.9-kilometre (3.66-mile) journey.AFP