Shenzhen is planning to begin research on management policies for automated driving and standards for road infrastructure construction to prepare for the commercialization of automated driving in the city, the city’s transport commission said Monday, according to the Shenzhen Economic Daily yesterday.
Last month, the transport commission released a catalog of the first batch of roads opened for smart driving tests in the city. A total of 19 roads in 10 administrative districts and new area were opened for testing, with the total road mileage running for about 124 kilometers, according to the catalog.
On this basis, the traffic authority further disclosed that relevant documents will be formulated in terms of the evaluation of road test applications and the management of road tests for smart driving.
It will also begin research on improving the environment for carrying out smart driving tests and conducting daily supervision and test data analysis of smart vehicles.
Additionally, suggestions on laws and regulations, standards, control strategies, financial support, promotions and more will be put forward to prepare for the commercial use and operation of automated driving in the future.
The commercialization of smart driving is accelerating in real life, said the news report. In particular, buses may embrace the new development soon, as their routes are relatively fixed. Smart driving can also help alleviate the shortage of bus drivers and prevent drivers from fatigued driving.
Roadstar.ai, a Shenzhen-based technology company, revealed that it will independently develop its own car-hailing service for automated driving vehicles. In 2019, the company will produce 200 driverless cars equipped with vehicle top boxes and develop a mobile app for the service. However, each car will have a security officer to ensure user experience, according to the company.
The technology company launched road tests in Shenzhen in March. At present, its road test mileage in the United States and China has totaled more than 100,000 kilometers, the news report showed.