Taxi drivers of Wuhan demand to limit the use of Baidu robotaxis

Baidu's Apollo Go robotaxi service in Wuhan, China, has faced complaints from local taxi drivers and residents despite its growing popularity. The service, with a fleet of over 500 driverless taxis, has led to concerns about job displacement and safety issues. Local taxi drivers have petitioned authorities to limit the robotaxi's operations, citing a decline in their income. Baidu aims to expand its fleet to 1,000 vehicles in Wuhan and achieve profitability by the end of the year. While passengers have given Apollo Go a high service rating, there have been over 300 complaints about slow reactions to traffic lights. A recent minor collision involving an Apollo Go vehicle and an electric scooter has also raised safety concerns, although the scooter driver only suffered minor injuries. Wuhan is at the forefront of autonomous driving technology, with plans to expand similar services to other cities in the future.