Autonomous cars run throughout WEDZ

An unmanned bus picks up passengers waiting at the station in WEDZ. [Photo provided to en.whkfq.gov.cn]

"The trip is very smooth, with the bus precisely avoiding pedestrians and other vehicles. The steering wheel turns by itself as the bus changes lanes or makes turns," said Yao, a local passenger, in reference to the driverless bus operating in the Wuhan Economic & Technological Development Zone (WEDZ).

These buses now stop not only near workplaces, but also at scenic spots and bookstores.

WEDZ has now become the fourth location in the nation, and the first in Central China, to support intelligent connected vehicle (ICV) testing on its roads.

There are more than 100 Robotaxi offering unmanned services to residents in the zone. Around 1.4 million orders have been placed for these vehicles.

A total of 18 autonomous driving enterprises participated in the zone's ICV testing and operation, including Dongfeng, Baidu and Xiaomi.