Shanghai to launch public testing for driverless taxi services

Shanghai will launch a public testing programme for its driverless taxi services as soon as next week, marking a step forward in the city’s pursuit of intelligent and connected autonomous vehicle applications.

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Shanghai officially issued the first permits for demonstration applications of the driverless vehicles to four companies on July 4. Over the past two weeks, autonomous driving companies have been preparing and fine-tuning their systems before initiating public testing, which will be free of charge to citizens.

The designated testing area for the driverless taxi pilot programme spans 68 sq km in Shanghai’s Lin-gang Special Area in Pudong. Through a dedicated mini program on WeChat, users can locate and access designated pickup points marked with an “R” symbol.

Unlike the fully autonomous model currently operating in Wuhan, in Hubei province, Shanghai’s approach to the pilot programme involves a safety operator in the front passenger seat of each car to respond to emergencies.

Once aboard, passengers can input the last four digits of their phone number on the vehicle’s onboard computer, fasten their seat belts and tap the “depart” button to commence their journey.