Guideline unveiled to make public use of autonomous driving vehicles safer

A safety guideline for the use of driverless vehicles in public transportation is expected to further bolster China's leading position in the popularization and commercialization of self-driving technology, experts said.

The guideline, issued on Tuesday by the Ministry of Transport, applies to autonomous vehicles for both passenger and freight transportation services such as taxis, buses and trucks. It covers vehicles with various degrees of automation and mandates that they carry at least one driver or security inspector.

Autonomous vehicles for freight transportation and taxis with conditional automation systems are required to carry one driver. With the approval of local governments, fully autonomous taxis can operate in designated areas with one security inspector remotely overseeing them, the guideline said.