First ‘robotaxis’ enter service in Beijing

An Apollo Go autonomous taxi is seen on a street in Yizhuang, a town of Daxing District, in the southeast suburbs of Beijing on Nov 26, 2021. — AFP

BEIJING: It looks like a normal car but the white taxi by the kerb has nobody driving it, and communicates with customers digitally to obtain directions and take payment.

Beijing this week approved its first autonomous taxis for commercial use, bringing dozens of the so-called “robotaxis” to the streets of the Chinese capital.