Unmanned Taxis are Arriving in Shenzhen

Shenzhen, Guangdong province, signs a pioneering cooperation agreement, paving the way for unmanned robotaxi services in the city.

chinadaily.com.cn

Unmanned robotaxi services are set to revolutionise transportation in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, following a landmark cooperation agreement. This agreement, signed by autonomous driving companies and local authorities, establishes a pilot autonomous driving commercial project in the city.

The project will encompass key areas such as tourist attractions, central business districts, exhibition centers, airports and the Qianhai ocean-themed urban area within the China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone.

Pony.ai, a leading autonomous driving service provider, along with travel platform Ontime and the administrative authority of Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone in Qianhai, inked the agreement on Friday.

Credits: chinadaily.com.cn

To facilitate the implementation of the project, Pony.ai and Ontime will collaborate in organizing a dedicated team for robotaxi operations in Qianhai. Their joint efforts will focus on exploring commercial multi-party business models, enhancing safety supervision and improving the operational capabilities of unmanned ride-hailing cars.

The agreement also emphasises the importance of leveraging this project to gain valuable operating experience, which will contribute to the expansion of autonomous driving technologies in various commercial applications. Notably, the project distinguishes itself by eliminating the need for drivers or front-seat passenger safety officers, ensuring full automation without human intervention.

Credits: chinadaily.com.cn

Over the past few years, numerous cities across China have introduced favorable policies to accelerate the commercialisation of robotaxi services. Shenzhen took the lead in August 2019 by implementing a regulation on intelligent connected vehicle management, thereby becoming the first Chinese city to permit fully unmanned autonomous driving services on public roads.

This ground-breaking initiative by Shenzhen follows the footsteps of other major cities such as Chongqing, Wuhan and Beijing, which have already approved fully unmanned autonomous driving commercial demonstration services. Autonomous driving companies in China, including Baidu Apollo, Pony.ai, AutoX and Deeproute.ai, have been actively investing and promoting different forms of robotaxi services nationwide.

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• Shenzhen, Guangdong province, signs a cooperation agreement for unmanned robotaxi services.

• The project covers key areas, including tourist attractions and central business districts.

• Pony.ai and Ontime will establish a professional robotaxi operation team in Qianhai.

• The project aims to enhance the division of responsibilities, safety supervision and operating capabilities.

• Full automation will eliminate the need for drivers or front-seat passenger safety officers.

• Shenzhen leads the way with favorable regulations for unmanned autonomous driving services.

• Chinese cities like Chongqing, Wuhan and Beijing have already approved unmanned autonomous driving commercial demonstration services.