A "system malfunction" has caused multiple self-driving robotaxis operated by Chinese internet giant Baidu to stall in the middle of roads in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, leaving distressed passengers stranded for hours, according to police confirmation. Local authorities reported receiving calls "one after another" on Tuesday night from riders whose autonomous vehicles, part of Baidu's "Apollo Go" driverless taxi service, had frozen and become immobile.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, police noted that "multiple Apollo Go cars stopped in the middle of the road, unable to move," with preliminary findings suggesting the cause was a system malfunction. Baidu maintains a fleet of over 500 driverless cars in Wuhan, though the statement did not specify how many were involved in the incident. This disruption highlights ongoing challenges in the deployment of autonomous vehicle technology in urban environments.

One rider recounted a 90-minute ordeal on the Chinese social media platform RedNote, describing how their vehicle broke down on an elevated highway in Wuhan at 9 p.m. local time. They attempted to contact robotaxi customer service but initially could not get through; after repeated calls, agents informed them that specialists had been dispatched. However, by 10:30 p.m., their order was cancelled, leaving them trapped on the overpass surrounded by dump trucks, and they criticized Apollo Go's customer service for offering "useless platitudes" instead of effective emergency solutions.

Riders uploaded footage of the incident to social media, including a video with the caption "Apollo Go, are you paralysed?" showing unsuccessful attempts to reach the company via an in-car tablet. Baidu has not immediately responded to requests for comment, as reported by Reuters. This incident is not isolated: in December last year, authorities in Zhuzhou city suspended robotaxi operations after a Baidu-produced autonomous vehicle struck two pedestrians, sending them to intensive care, raising further concerns about safety and reliability.

Baidu, often compared to Google in China, launched Apollo Go to the public in Beijing in late 2020 and now operates in designated areas across several Chinese cities. The company reported providing 3.4 million driverless rides in the fourth quarter of 2025, a more than 200% increase from the same period in 2024, and has recently announced deals with rideshare apps Lyft and Uber to expand its presence outside China, underscoring its ambitious growth plans despite these technical setbacks.

Source: www.theguardian.com