Over 100 Robotaxis Suddenly Stall in Wuhan, Stranding Passengers

Wuhan. A major incident has emerged in Wuhan, China, where over 100 autonomous robotaxis suddenly ceased operations, leaving passengers stranded. The incident occurred on the night of March 31.

According to local traffic management authorities, reports of robotaxis stopping across the city began surfacing around 8:57 PM. It was confirmed that the affected vehicles were part of Apollo Go, a service operated by the Chinese IT giant Baidu.

During the incident, some passengers were trapped inside the vehicles for up to 90 minutes. One passenger shared her experience on social media, stating she was stuck for about an hour and a half and complained that she did not receive effective assistance despite repeated attempts to contact customer service.

She also criticized the company's customer support. Videos circulating on social media show robotaxis stopped in the middle of various roads with their lights flashing. While there were some minor collisions, no injuries were reported.

Preliminary investigations suggest a system error as the likely cause. Apollo Go stated that because the robotaxis are operated via a central control system, a failure in the main system can affect many vehicles simultaneously.

This incident has raised serious questions regarding the safety of driverless vehicles. A detailed investigation into the matter is ongoing, though it is considered unlikely that the company will release comprehensive details.