Driverless cabs now share public roads in Chinese cities

Robotaxis from firms such as Pony.ai are running in public traffic in China, pointing toward cheaper, more available urban rides.

Driverless robotaxis, with Pony.ai named as one of the operators, are now running in public traffic in Chinese cities. SCMP Tech has published a rider's-eye look at what the experience is like.

This matters for mobility because the largest cost in a taxi ride is the driver. If autonomous cars can carry passengers reliably in ordinary traffic, the price of an on-demand ride can fall and service can reach more hours and more neighborhoods. That is the path toward transport that is cheap and widely available.

Our source here is brief and we could not read the full article, so we can't give fares, fleet sizes, cities, safety records or the rider's verdict. Those details sit with SCMP Tech's reporting.

Source: SCMP Tech