Hundreds of robotaxis suddenly freeze trapping their passengers on motorway
Hundreds of robotaxis suddenly freeze trapping their passengers on motorway
Over 200 driverless taxis experienced a sudden malfunction on a major highway in China, leaving passengers stranded. The incident occurred on Tuesday, disrupting traffic and causing concern among commuters.
A system failure caused the autonomous vehicles to stop along three key roads in Wuhan, a large city in central China. Video footage shared on Chinese social media platform Weibo showed passengers shouting for assistance inside dozens of parked cars, their vehicles’ lights flickering.
One image captured a taxi damaged by a truck, its body dented and lights flashing. Another passenger described being stuck in the slowest lane of an expressway as heavy traffic moved past them. A rider trapped for over an hour claimed the SOS button and onboard support were ineffective.
“I called their customer service nearly 20 times using my own phone, but couldn’t reach anyone,” said Luka, a user on Xiaohongshu, a Chinese social media app. A second video from the same account revealed customer service agents offered a 50% discount as compensation.
A dashcam recording posted to Rednote showed a car passing 16 self-driving vehicles parked on the road within 90 minutes. These vehicles were part of Apollo Go, a ride-hailing service operated by Chinese tech giant Baidu in Wuhan.
A local police officer stated that between 100 and 200 robotaxis stalled, a common issue with Apollo Go cars. They explained that passengers could open doors via a button but were unable to exit the road or reach safety. “We rescued many people today,” the officer added.
Authorities have not disclosed the exact cause of the malfunctions, which occurred on the Second and Third Ring Roads and Baishazhou Bridge at 8:57 PM. The police noted that emergency protocols were followed, with traffic and transportation departments coordinating with Apollo Go staff to address the situation.
The event highlights challenges in the deployment of autonomous vehicles, even as cities worldwide adopt the technology. In London, self-driving cars are being tested, yet similar issues have arisen in San Francisco, where passengers of Waymo vehicles reported being cut short due to vandals or opponents of automated transport.
In 2024, a man blocked the sensors of a robotax, causing it to halt as a safety measure. Other passengers claimed they were trapped when vehicles were tagged with graffiti or when someone requested their phone number.
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