Supraja
The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology has issued draft guidelines supporting the introduction of robotaxis in ride-hailing and car rental fleets in the city.
Autonomous vehicles in Beijing are required to have drivers or safety officers on board, or the capability for remote interception, to ensure safety while robotaxis are in operation.
The guidelines are open for public feedback, indicating a participatory approach to the integration of robotaxis in Beijing's transportation system.
While Beijing is moving forward with robotaxis, other Chinese cities have experienced backlash, with concerns over job losses for taxi drivers and issues such as traffic jams and accidents involving autonomous vehicles.
Tesla Inc. is preparing to unveil its own robotaxi next month, and CEO Elon Musk has secured tentative approval from Chinese government officials to deploy the company’s advanced driver-assistance system in China.