Self-driving online ride-hailing vehicles in Wuhan begin to replace taxi drivers

Baidu's self-driving online car-hailing app "LuoBoKuaiPao" was accused of grabbing the market in Wuhan at a low price, which attracted public attention. Wuhan taxi drivers accused self-driving online car-hailing apps of "stealing the jobs of the lower class", and some drivers began to return their cars.

Cailian reported on Wednesday (July 10, 2024) that a document titled "Taxis are on the brink of death" has been circulating on the Internet recently, and the unit signed by Wuhan Construction Automobile Passenger Transport Co., Ltd. The document stated: "Unmanned online taxis have become popular recently, and technology has monopolized resources and snatched the jobs of the bottom people. Many cruising taxis have difficulty supporting their families and are forced to withdraw from the industry."

The report quoted several Wuhan drivers as saying that "Carrot Quick Run" only costs 7 or 8 yuan (about 1.3 to 1.5 Singapore dollars) for a 10-kilometer journey. The daily order volume and turnover of taxis and online taxis have decreased recently, and the number of taxi drivers returning their cars has begun to increase.

A taxi driver said that his company estimated that 10% to 15% of drivers have applied to return their cars, and the return of the car must be applied three months in advance, so the number of people who will complete the return of the car in the future will be more.