Baidu Rolls Out First Paid Driverless Taxi Service In Beijing

Amid the pandemic, a self-driving taxi might be the way to go.

Chinese tech giant Baidu has launched its paid driverless taxi service in Beijing.

It’s the first company to commercialize autonomous driving operations in China, and since the beginning of May ten of its driverless taxis called Apollo Go have been running.

One passenger said, he felt it was a bit too fast when turning a corner.

“Beijing has too many pedestrians and we see a lot of sudden crossing movements, so I’m pretty concerned. The driverless taxis may have wide applications in second or third tier cities.”

People aged 18 to 60 can take the taxi and each ride costs close to five U.S. dollars.

Passengers can hail a cab using an app and need to scan a QR code to verify their identity before entering.

Baidu says it expects to transport athletes and visitors during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.