China Halts New Robotaxi Permits After Baidu’s Wuhan Traffic Standstill

China’s rapid expansion of autonomous vehicle services has hit a regulatory roadblock after a major malfunction involving Baidu’s robotaxis in Wuhan. On March 31, approximately 200 vehicles from Baidu’s Apollo Go program came to an abrupt halt in traffic, triggering a chain of collisions and leaving passengers stranded—some for over an hour.

Fortunately, no injuries were reported. According to an unnamed source, Baidu engineers had remotely instructed the vehicles to stop and collect data on the spot, which led to the unexpected traffic disruption.

Government Response and Industry Impact

Following the incident, China’s transport ministry, industry and information technology ministry, public security ministry, and Cyberspace Administration convened with eight of the country’s leading autonomous driving firms. Authorities mandated a comprehensive self-inspection of operations to prevent future disruptions.

As a result, Beijing has halted the issuance of new robotaxi licenses, though existing operators are permitted to continue services. For example, Pony.ai continues to operate robotaxi services in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen without interruption.

Current Regulations and Future Outlook

China’s approach to regulating self-driving vehicles has historically been decentralized, with local governments setting their own rules. This has led to a patchwork of regulations across the country.

As of last year, approximately 4,500 robotaxis were operating in pilot zones across 10 Chinese cities. Analysts project that this number could surge to 500,000 by 2030, representing about 10% of the nation’s total taxi fleet. A national framework to address such incidents is expected by the end of May.

Passenger Accounts Highlight Challenges

"Dozens of robotaxis by Baidu stopped on the road in Wuhan, causing crashes on highways and trapping passengers in the cars—some for more than an hour. One passenger told me it took her 30 minutes to even connect to a customer representative."

— Zeyi Yang, April 1, 2026