Tech giant rolls out first driverless taxi service in China

Each ride costs 30 yuan (€3.85), and is open to passengers aged 18 to 60

A Baidu Apollo Robotaxi move past a steel plant at the Shougang Park in Beijing, Sunday, May 2, 2021. Chinese tech giant Baidu rolled out its paid driverless taxi service on Sunday, making it the first company that commercialized autonomous driving operations in China. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Chinese tech giant Baidu has rolled out a driverless taxi service in Beijing, making it the first company to commercialise autonomous driving operations in China.

Unlike previous Baidu autonomous driving demonstrations in the capital, this was the first time there was no safety driver sitting behind the wheel. Instead, an employee sits in the front passenger seat to deal with any emergencies.