(ECNS) -- Several autonomous ride-hailing vehicles operated by Apollo Go came to a halt on roads in Wuhan on Tuesday evening, trapping passengers and disrupting traffic, reportedly due to a system glitch.
Videos on Chinese social media showed vehicles with hazard lights flashing as they stopped on major roads and elevated highways, forcing other drivers to navigate around them.
In a statement issued early Wednesday by Wuhan's traffic police, their emergency hotline began receiving reports of multiple Apollo Go vehicles immobilized on roads from around 8:57 p.m. on Tuesday. Police and transport authorities dispatched personnel to the scene to work with Apollo Go staff to manage the incident.
A preliminary investigation suggested the disruption was caused by system failure, police said, adding that all passengers had been safely evacuated and no injuries were reported. Further investigation into the exact cause is underway.
Apollo Go, launched by Chinese tech giant Baidu in August 2021, is an autonomous ride-hailing service platform that offers paid trips in select cities, with fares calculated based on distance and time. Wuhan was among the first to pilot the service.
(By Zhang Dongfang)
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