Synopsis
China has pressed the brakes on new permits for self-driving vehicles, marking a pivotal shift in the landscape of autonomous transportation. This decision follows Baidu's unprecedented suspension of its robotaxi fleet in Wuhan last month, which is currently the subject of an ongoing investigation.Listen to this article in summarized format
The halt means self-driving companies cannot add robotaxis to their existing fleets, launch new pilot projects, or expand into additional cities, the report said.
Baidu's robotaxi operations in Wuhan have also been suspended as local authorities' investigation into the outage is underway, it added.
Reuters could not immediately verify the report.
The industry ministry, transport ministry and public security ministry did not immediately respond to faxed questions seeking comment. Baidu did not reply to a request for comment.
Two other major robotaxi firms said safety is their top priority as their operations remain up and running normally.
"Pony.ai 's robotaxi services in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen are currently operating normally," it said.
"Our preparation work in Changsha and Hangzhou is also progressing as planned," the company said.
WeRide 's "robotaxi services in China are still operating as normal" and are covering more than 1,000 square km (386 square miles), according to a company statement.
"We support the authorities' efforts to ensure the highest safety standards across the industry," it said.
In a meeting earlier in April, Chinese authorities ordered local authorities to conduct self-inspections and strengthen safety oversight of road tests involving intelligent connected vehicles.
