Shenzhen to Deploy Autonomous Buses as China Advances Self-Driving Vehicle Tests
Shenzhen plans to deploy a fleet of 20 autonomous buses on its roads this year. The buses will operate along four bus routes in the Qianhai district. Shenzhen aims to create the largest fleet of autonomous driving buses in a downtown area.
Despite concerns about laws, security, and social ramifications, the local bus operator in Shenzhen intends to run these self-driving buses along four bus lines in the Qianhai area, an economic zone near to Hong Kong.
The routes will make stops at metro stations, commercial and business districts, industrial parks, residential neighbourhoods and tourist attractions. The state-owned public transportation company Shenzhen Bus Group plans to build the largest fleet of self-driving buses in a first-tier city's downtown region. The company has already gained official approval for a trial run and plans to begin operations on the first bus route as early as this month.
During the trial period, riders will pay a fee of 1 yuan (US$0.14) per ride. Unlike the all-electric single-decker buses in their fleet, the autonomous vehicles will be nine-seat minibuses outfitted with high-definition cameras, sensors, and lidar technology.
Shenzhen has actively sought to establish itself as China's autonomous vehicle hub, joining cities such as Guangzhou and Wuhan in embracing self-driving buses. Shenzhen became the first city to implement dedicated legislation for intelligent linked cars in 2022, allowing registered autonomous vehicles to travel on designated highways without the need for a safety driver. Last year, the city also allowed self-driving cars to be tested on 89 km of highway, including some extremely challenging portions.
Robotaxi services are already popular in Shenzhen's Nanshan and Pingshan districts, where commuters can quickly hail a ride using Baidu's Apollo Go service. These rides are frequently deeply cheap or even free. Shenzhen is also the first city to allow completely autonomous automobiles to operate throughout an entire district, with licenced businesses such as Baidu operating robotaxi fleets in Pingshan without safety drivers.
Shenzhen, which has a population of 17 million people, aims to create 200 billion yuan in revenue from its intelligent vehicle industry by 2025, according to the local government's action plan, which was issued in June 2023. However, broad deployment of self-driving technology has sparked concerns about safety and job losses.
Local taxi drivers in Wuhan, where over 500 Apollo Go robotaxis are in operation, have petitioned the municipal transportation authority to prohibit the use of Baidu's service due to its popularity among the city's 13.7 million citizens.
Shenzhen plans to deploy a fleet of 20 autonomous buses on its roads this year.
The buses will operate along four bus routes in the Qianhai district.
Shenzhen aims to create the largest fleet of autonomous driving buses in a downtown area.
Source: SCMP