【Epoch Times July 13, 2024】(Reporter Li Yun from Epoch Times) Baidu’s driverless ride-hailing service, “Radish Dash,” has been aggressively entering the traditional taxi market with prices comparable to public transportation like buses and subways. However, recent strikes on the streets have led to increased congestion, leaving traffic police at a loss and sparking public concern.
“Radish Dash” has deployed over 400 driverless ride-hailing vehicles in Wuhan, raising continuous controversies around this type of service.
On July 11th, the driverless vehicles of “Radish Dash” went on strike on the streets, causing local traffic congestion and drawing attention from the public.
Video footage shows several “Radish Dash” driverless vehicles blocking the roads in the center of Wuhan, preventing buses from moving and resulting in traffic congestion, with pedestrians and cyclists having to navigate the streets in disorderly fashion.
Numerous traffic police officers were seen attempting to control the traffic on-site, while dozens of onlookers gathered on the sidelines.
On July 12th, the staff of “Radish Dash” responded, stating that in such situations, vehicle information can be provided to the staff, and the company will address the issue promptly while continuously improving vehicle technology.
On July 7th, a netizen in Wuhan posted a video on a short video platform claiming that a “Radish Dash” vehicle collided with a pedestrian on the street. The video showed a pedestrian lying in front of the “Radish Dash” vehicle, with traffic police present at the scene, causing congestion.
On July 8th, Baidu responded, stating, “The accident occurred when the vehicle collided with a pedestrian who ran a red light as the green light lit up. The pedestrian was immediately sent to a hospital for examination.”
Another video showed two taxis stopped perpendicularly at an intersection, with a traffic jam forming behind them.
One traffic officer stood helplessly in front of one vehicle, gesturing towards both taxis with a sense of resignation. Another officer looked at the taillights of the vehicles, unsure of what to do.
The description accompanying the video said, “Two ‘Radish Dash’ vehicles in Wuhan are stuck together, not giving way to each other, causing traffic congestion. The police are on the scene, at a loss as both vehicles have no drivers inside…”
When the two vehicles were finally able to move, neither was willing to yield to the other, leading to a comical situation with onlookers bemused.
The videos provoked heated discussions among netizens:
“Such issues arose so quickly… wasn’t there any testing done?” “Causing a strike during rush hour is a minor issue; if a passenger cannot open the door in case of a fire, that would be disastrous.” “The road I usually take home is usually clear, but this time it was jammed the whole way. Luckily, I rode a Meituan bike over while the drivers behind me honked incessantly, which made me laugh.”
However, a video circulating online clarified that the so-called driverless vehicles were not truly unmanned; instead, drivers were relocated from the vehicles to a control center, where staff remotely operated these on-road cars.
Currently, “Radish Dash” driverless ride-hailing service is being tested in 11 cities across China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Wuhan, Changsha, Cangzhou, Yangquan, Wuzhen, with its operations notably widespread in Wuhan’s central urban area.
However, local ride-hailing and taxi drivers in Wuhan have expressed opposition to “Radish Dash,” fearing being replaced by these autonomous vehicles, leading to job loss and financial difficulties, viewing it as another instance of capital “harvesting.”
In June, an open letter allegedly from Wuhan Urban Construction Bus Company voiced concerns over significant operational pressures faced by the company, especially with the prevalence of driverless ride-hailing vehicles, accusing it of “monopolizing resources through technology and taking away livelihoods of the working class.”
The open letter suggested controlling the deployment of “Radish Dash” driverless vehicles within a specific area instead of “accepting orders all over the street.”
In May, numerous complaints surfaced on Wuhan’s city message board, with many citizens reporting instances of “Radish Dash” vehicles halting at green lights, running into the middle of red lights, getting stuck while turning, particularly leading to congestion during peak hours.
While “Radish Dash” faced criticism, discussions about its pricing being comparable to public buses went viral on social media platforms like Weibo.
On July 12th, China News Weekly reported that “Radish Dash” was becoming a must-visit attraction for tourists in Wuhan, witnessing an explosive growth in orders due to ultra-low prices and a novel experience.
Liu Shuang, a resident of Wuhan’s Hanyang District, has become a frequent user of “Radish Dash.” In the past month alone, she has used the service nearly ten times.
Liu mainly uses “Radish Dash” to drop off and pick up her child from tutoring classes, covering a distance of less than 5 kilometers from her home. With DiDi, the cost ranges from 11 to 15 yuan.
Liu remarked, “With ‘Radish Dash,’ it never exceeds 6 yuan. Recently, I even got a discount voucher and only paid 2.5 yuan, comparable to taking a bus.”
According to reports, Liu appreciates not only the affordability of “Radish Dash” but also the riding experience. Booking a “Radish Dash” ride is similar to booking a regular ride-hailing service through an app or mini-program.
Upon vehicle arrival, passengers cannot directly open the door to board but must enter the last four digits of their phone number on a small screen near the rear door to unlock it.
Passengers can only sit in the back seat of a “Radish Dash” vehicle, with a maximum of three riders allowed at a time. After boarding, passengers are prompted to fasten their seatbelts; failure to do so would prevent the vehicle from moving. Additionally, a screen in front of the passengers asks for trip confirmation; without manual confirmation, the “Radish Dash” will remain stationary.
Regarding the low pricing of “Radish Dash,” netizens engaged in diverse discussions:
“Affordable prices are good for ordinary consumers but bad for thousands of drivers.”
“Prepare for an additional 20 million unemployed.”
“It’s the same old strategy: initially subsidize to dominate the market, nurture users, and later increase prices for profit. There isn’t much innovation in this.”
“Currently, low prices are due to market subsidies for market domination. When market control is established, the subsidies will disappear.”
“Capital is exploiting, and it’s just a matter of time before it affects others. The future wealth gap will widen, leading to further decline in consumer spending.”
“It’s a familiar routine: subsidize first, then increase prices. During the initial spread of ride-hailing, with the subsidies factored in, taking a ride was cheaper than public transportation.”
According to Baidu’s first-quarter financial report data, the proportion of fully autonomous orders has exceeded 55%, rising to 70% in April, expected to rapidly increase to 100% in the coming quarters.
Baidu’s latest quarterly report revealed that as of April 19th, “Radish Dash” had serviced over 6 million orders; they provided around 826,000 trip services in the first quarter, marking a 25% year-on-year growth.