Smooth ride so far for ‘robocabs’

Milestone for the industry: In July, operators were allowed to charge fares for a fully driverless journey. — The Straits Times/ANN

Driverless taxis are no longer a curious sight for residents of the Beijing suburb of Yizhuang, where commercial operations are well under way, with dozens of “robocabs” clocking millions of kilometres.

They pick up passengers and drop them off, weaving in and out of lanes and navigating intersections without human intervention within a 60sq km autonomous driving demonstration zone that was established in 2020.