Robotaxis without safety operator for the first time

China: The technology giant Baidu and Pony.ai are allowed to use driverless robot taxis on public roads in two Chinese cities. Accordingly, Baidu’s autonomous ridehailing service Apollo Go can now transport people without a safety driver in the megacities of Chongqing and Wuhan. The Baidu subsidiary Apollo Go is also on the road in China’s other metropolises: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. It has handled over one million rides (albeit with an operator) in ten cities where it offers ridehailing since 2020.

Despite setbacks due to accidents, technology continues to advance and the authorities are following suit.

Five robotaxis in operation in each city

Initially, the company plans to deploy five robotaxis in each of the two cities. They will be allowed to drive in defined areas. In Wuhan, the vehicles will operate in an area of 13 square kilometres between 9 am and 5 pm. In Chongqing, the area covers 30 square kilometres. There, the autonomous ridehailing service can be used from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm.

robo-taxis have been allowed to operate in california since february.
Google‘s sister company Waymo and the General Motors subsidiary Cruise were given the go-ahead by the Californian transport authority. But, a prerequisite is that a safety driver must be at the drivier seat.
Furthermore restrictions so far: Waymo is allowed to operate its self-driving cars in parts of San Francisco and San Mateo County in Silicon Valley around the clock at speeds of up to just over 100 kilometres per hour (65 miles per hour) as part of its commercial service. Cruise’s robotaxis can carry paying passengers at night between 10pm and 6am at speeds of up to just under 50 kilometres per hour.

Germany is also working on autonomous driving services. For example, the VW subsidiary Moia is planning to bring driverless shuttle vehicles to the streets of Hamburg in 2025.

Despite setbacks due to accidents, technology continues to advance and the authorities are following suit.

• San Francisco in the US state of California. On the night of 28 June 2022, an unusual spectacle: one after the other, driverless vehicles roll up to the intersection of Gough and Fulton Streets, gather together seemingly in conspiracy and prevent other vehicles from continuing their journey for hours.
• Only recently, the UN Economic Commission for Europe’s (UNECE) World Forum for Harmonisation of Vehicle Regulations adopted new rules for autonomous vehicles that give them greater flexibiltiy for movement.
  Accordingly, the maximum speed for autonomous driving in certain traffic situations increases from 60 to 130 kilometres per hour. Lane changes will also be permitted in future. The rule can come into force in January 2023. National regulations still have to be adapted for this.
• Germany: So far, automated driving in Germany has been limited to certain traffic situations on the motorway, such as traffic jams. In critical situations such as tunnels or the risk of black ice, which cars automatically detect through cameras and sensors, drivers must receive an alarm and take over the vehicle.

• dpa