Robotaxis Are Slowly Taking Over Chinese Major Roads

In terms of value for money, "robotaxis" in China are definitely worth it. A journey of around 8 kilometres costs just over 11 yuan or around US$ 1.50.

Robotaxi providers are undercutting prices in the already low-cost taxi business, which has shaken the gig market in a country where many people employed in precarious jobs like taxi driving are worried about losing their livelihood.

Many are fascinated by this new player in the road where their steering wheel turns as if by magic although it does take a bit of getting used to.

Unlike other road vehicles, the driverless car stoically keeps to the specified 50 kilometres per hour. At the slightest danger, the computer applies the brakes near-instantly which can catch passengers unawares.

More than 30 cities in China have issued test licences for autonomous driving, although robot taxis are more likely to be found on the roads in the megacities where public acceptance is higher.

In Beijing, however, there is still a human attendant in the driver's seat who can over take the wheel in an emergency.

Wuhan in central China, which gained notoriety as a centre of the coronavirus pandemic, has gone a step further. The fleet of 100 or so taxis from Apollo Go operate entirely without human assistance.

The provider is backed by tech giant Baidu, China's equivalent of Google. The taxi is summoned using a mobile phone app. To open the door, the passenger scans a code. Inside, a pin previously received by text message is entered on a screen - and the journey can begin.

In Beijing, with its six rings of motorways and often congested roads, robotaxis have so far only been allowed to drive in certain areas away from the city centre.

But taxi drivers are already irked by the erratic behaviour of robotaxis which "can't handle" the complexities on the city's roads, says Mr Li, who works for one of the many Chinese driving services similar to ride hailing service Uber. "The road conditions are simply very complex." This means the robotaxis often drive too slowly or brake too cautiously.