Beijing is paving the way for driverless robotaxis. China’s capital city granted permits to auto startup Pony.ai and Chinese internet giant Baidu to offer self-driving car services to the general public, both companies announced today. Both operations will start out small — Baidu’s fleet will consist of 10 cars and Pony.ai will run four cars, reported CNBC. Eventually both companies plan to expand operations in the city.The Beijing government is requiring a staff member to be onboard each driverless vehicle to make sure things go smoothly. But the employee isn’t required to be in the driver’s seat. Both firms had already been testing driverless taxis in Beijing and other major cities in China, but were required to have safety drivers behind the wheel.The permits are a big step forward for the driverless taxi industry in Beijing, which set a goal for 70 percent of new cars sold in 2030 to have at least Level 2 self-driving technology installed.An added perk for Beijing residents i
