Apollo Go Robotaxi sparks debate amid employment concerns

(ECNS) -- The order surge of Apollo Go Robotaxi, Baidu's autonomous ride-hailing service provider, trended on Weibo, a Chinese X-like online platform on Wednesday. 

Media reports highlighted the rapid growth in unmanned vehicle orders in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, with “a peak of over 20 orders per vehicle per day” and “a user satisfaction rating of 4.9 out of 5.”

It was also claimed that 1,000 unmanned vehicles had been deployed in the city, raising concerns about the employment market for ride-hailing and taxi drivers. 

However, a journalist from The Paper found that the "peak of over 20 orders per vehicle per day" and user satisfaction data originated from a news report dated March 2023. Also, an official from the Wuhan Municipal Transportation Bureau told China News Weekly that Apollo Go has deployed over 400 unmanned vehicles locally, instead of the 1,000 vehicles rumored online.

Wanlian Securities investment advisor Qu Fangze told The Paper that in the future, autonomous driving could replace ride-hailing services and taxis in most areas. "This is not simply an industry issue; it also involves employment rates and residents' incomes. Currently, the number of registered ride-hailing drivers in China has exceeded 7 million, with taxi drivers close to 3 million. From the perspective of technological development and business models, autonomous ride-hailing services are successful. However, whether it is worth causing a disruptive impact on the entire industry should also be considered," he said.

Gu Dasong, executive director of the Southeast University Research Center for Transportation Law and Development, told The Paper that the prospect of applying autonomous driving in the taxi industry lies not only in enhancing traffic safety through technology but also in reducing the need for a large number of drivers, thereby generating commercial value.

As a result, he believes its trial operations and future large-scale promotion would inevitably impact the interests of taxi drivers. Therefore, it is urgent to promote social equity through policy measures.

According to official data from Baidu, as of April 19, Apollo Go Robotaxi had provided over 6 million cumulative service orders; in the first quarter alone, it offered approximately 826,000 rides, a year-on-year increase of 25 percent. 

During a financial report meeting, Baidu CEO Robin Li stated that in the first quarter, the proportion of autonomous driving orders in Wuhan exceeded 55 percent. In April, it continued to rise to 70 percent. It is expected to increase to 100 percent in the coming quarters rapidly.