China halts new robotaxi licenses following Baidu incident

China has halted issuing new permits for self-driving vehicles, based on information from unnamed sources. 

According to Bloomberg, this action followed an incident where numerous robotaxis run by the Chinese tech leader Baidu stalled in traffic last month in Wuhan, leading to disruption.

The halt restricts firms from expanding their driverless car fleets, entering new cities, or launching new pilot programs. When new licenses might be issued again remains uncertain.

Baidu’s robotaxi services in Wuhan have reportedly also been halted as local authorities continue investigating the outage, according to media reports.

This represents at least the second regulatory action following a Baidu-related event, as reported, with Baidu's Wuhan services still suspended pending local government examination.

Meanwhile, two other leading robotaxi operators said their services across China remain fully functional and that safety continues to be their primary focus.

Pony.ai said its robotaxi fleets in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen are operating normally, adding that rollout preparations in Changsha and Hangzhou are moving ahead on schedule.

WeRide also said its robotaxi network in China remains unaffected, with services currently spanning more than 1,000 square kilometres.

The company added that it supports government efforts to enforce the highest possible safety standards throughout the self-driving vehicle sector.

Earlier this month, Chinese regulators instructed local authorities nationwide to carry out safety self-inspections and tighten oversight of road testing involving intelligent connected vehicles.