Baidu's robotaxis can now operate even without the presence of a safety driver after securing necessary permits from the Chinese government. The company claims to be the first in the nation to acquire such permits.
As reported by Reuters, commercial robotaxis can now provide rides to the general public without having human safety drivers in the vehicle, thanks to permits issued by the municipalities of Chongqing in the southwest and Wuhan in the center.
BEIJING, CHINA - APRIL 22: A "safety driver" is seen at the wheel of an Apollo Moon robotaxi this is part of Baidu's Apollo Go autonomous ride-hailing service during a media tour at the Apollo Park on April 22, 2022 in Beijing, China.Baidu, the Chinese internet technology and AI giant, is making a big push into autonomous ride-hailing by testing its robotaxi service, called Apollo Go, in several major cities in China. In Beijing, Baidu's driverless vehicles cover over 600 pick-up and drop-off points in both commercial and residential areas which riders hail by using an app. Baidu is facing competition from a number of start-ups in China, but the company, considered a leader in driverless technology, says Apollo Go will expand to open roads in 100 cities across China by 2030.
Fully Driverless Cars
For context, Baidu was already given permission to operate an autonomous taxi service in Beijing back in April, provided that a human operator was seated in the driver's or front passenger's seat.
But after securing additional permits, it will now be able to provide a service where the only people present in the autonomous cars are passengers.
BEIJING, CHINA - APRIL 22: A display showing the engineering of Apollo robotaxis that are part of Baidu's Apollo Go autonomous ride-hailing service is seen during a media tour at the Apollo Park on April 22, 2022 in Beijing, China.
Read also: Baidu's New Robotaxi With Detachable Steering Wheel Will be 48% Cheaper than the Previous Model
It is worth noting that the permissions will still include some restrictions. For instance, autonomous Apollo Go cars will only be allowed to transport passengers during the day across specific zones in Wuhan and Chongqing.
At the same time, the service areas will only span 30 square kilometers in the Yongchuan District of Chongqing and 13 square kilometers in the Economic & Technological Development Zone (WHDZ) of Wuhan.
According to Baidu, its robotaxis include a variety of safety features to support its essential autonomous driving capabilities. These functions include a safety operation network, monitoring redundancy, and remote driving capacity.
Engadget noted that this represents a significant advancement for Baidu as it seeks to provide robotaxi services on a broader scale. The automaker has also been developing its cars in the US for a while, and it may eventually emerge as a rival to companies like Waymo and Cruise.
Related Article: Waymo, Cruise Gets Permit for Robotaxi and Self-Driving Ventures in SF, Receiving Payments for Rides
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Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla
