SELF-DRIVING startup DeepRoute.ai launched its robotaxi service Monday by offering a fleet of 20 self-driving cabs with safety drivers for adult passengers around Futian’s central business district.

The service is open to adult passengers who first need to apply for an invitation code via DeepRoute.ai’s WeChat account. After getting the code, passengers can book for automated driving services online for free.

DeepRoute.ai, established in 2019, received its permit to run trials this April. It became the first company to officially run a public robotaxi program in the city.

Liu Xuan, DeepRoute.ai’s vice president, said the company has tested its self-driving vehicles in Shenzhen for over two years and plans to gradually expand its operations.

For the trials, the company has set up 100 designated pickup and drop-off points, which include landmarks like Lianhua Hill Park and Shenzhen Museum.

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, the company included some points like Shenzhen Reform and Opening-up Exhibition Hall and Shenzhen Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery.

To make COVID-19 vaccinations easier for residents, cab routes are also linked to many community health centers.

The route covers a distance of 200 kilometers in Futian.

On Monday afternoon, a reporter from Shenzhen Economic Daily took a robotaxi ride from Futian Bonded Area to Jingtian Metro Station. It took 26 minutes for the robotaxi to complete the 8.4-kilometer trip, going through intersections and overpasses.

The city’s legislature is reviewing a draft of regulations on intelligent and connected vehicles which are expected to cover the whole chain of autonomous driving development from road testing, operation permits, traffic accidents, handling of accidents and violations to dealing with legal liability.

China has about 4,000 companies involved in the autonomous driving sector, with about 20 percent based in Shenzhen, according to Chinese corporate registration statistics on Tianyancha, a Chinese corporate registry data provider. 

(Han Ximin)