The suspension of new licences prevents self-driving companies from adding new robotaxis to their fleets, starting a new test project or expanding to a new city, the people said. It’s not clear how long the suspension will last, the people said.
(April 29): China has suspended issuing new licences for autonomous vehicles, according to people familiar with the matter, after dozens of Baidu Inc’s Apollo Go robotaxis suddenly stopped in Wuhan last month, stranding passengers and disrupting traffic.
The incident alarmed authorities, and three agencies including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology convened a meeting earlier this month with officials from cities that have robotaxis or autonomous-driving pilots, the people said. Regulators called for local governments to conduct a full self-review and enhance safety monitoring to prevent similar incidents, said the people, who declined to be identified because they aren’t authorised to speak publicly.
