Hundreds of robotaxis suddenly freeze trapping their passengers on motorway

Hundreds of robotaxis suddenly freeze trapping passengers on motorway

Over 200 driverless taxis experienced a breakdown on a major highway in China, leaving numerous commuters stranded. The issue, described as a ‘system malfunction,’ occurred on three key roads in Wuhan, a central Chinese city, on Tuesday.

Passengers Trapped in Autopilot Dilemma

Videos from the Chinese social media platform Weibo captured passengers shouting for assistance inside multiple vehicles with illuminated headlights. One image depicted a taxi damaged by a truck, while another showed a rider helplessly stuck in the slowest lane of an expressway as heavy traffic roared past.

“I called their customer service number nearly 20 times from my own phone and still couldn’t get through,” said Luka, a user on Xiaohongshu, who shared footage of the SOS button failing to function.

She later posted a second video explaining that staff at the company’s customer service offered a 50% discount as compensation.

Technical Glitch and Emergency Response

A dashcam recording uploaded to Rednote revealed 16 autonomous vehicles parked on the road within just 90 minutes. These cars were part of Apollo Go, a self-driving ride-hailing scheme operated by Biado in Wuhan.

A local police officer noted that between 100 and 200 robotaxis stalled, calling it a ‘common problem’ with Apollo Go vehicles. They added: “Passengers can press a button to open the door, but they can’t exit the ring road. We saved many people today.”

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. They stated that emergency teams and Apollo Go staff acted swiftly using pre-established protocols to address the situation.

Global Rollout of Autonomous Vehicles

This incident highlights challenges in the adoption of self-driving technology, as many cities worldwide, including London, integrate such systems. However, these trials haven’t been smooth. In San Francisco, users of Waymo cars reported trips being cut short due to vandals or individuals opposed to robotaxi services.

In 2024, a man covered the sensors of a stopped robotaxi, causing it to halt as a safety measure. Others shared stories of being trapped while their vehicles were tagged with graffiti or when someone asked for their phone number.

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