What happened
Waymo and Baidu are introducing autonomous ride-hailing services to London, with Waymo planning public operations by 2026 following current driverless cab testing. Baidu, in partnership with Uber and Lyft, intends to test its purpose-built RT6 Apollo Go electric vehicles, which leverage millions of kilometres of prior autonomous driving system testing, pending regulatory approval. This deployment introduces vehicles operating without human drivers into a complex urban environment.
Why it matters
The introduction of autonomous ride-hailing services without human drivers creates a significant accountability gap regarding immediate operational control during incidents. This increases exposure for legal and risk management teams due to the unresolved liability framework for accidents involving autonomous vehicles. It also raises due diligence requirements for operational safety and compliance teams to establish new oversight mechanisms and policy frameworks for these driverless operations.
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