Hundreds Robotaxis Suddenly Freeze Trapping Passengers Motorway 27826109

Hundreds of robotaxis suddenly freeze trapping their passengers on motorway

James Jackson April 2, 2026

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Hundreds of robotaxis suddenly freeze, trapping passengers on motorway

Over 200 driverless taxis encountered a technical issue on a major highway in China, leaving passengers stuck in their vehicles. The malfunction occurred on Tuesday, affecting three key roads in Wuhan, a central Chinese city.

Footage shared on the Chinese social media platform Weibo revealed passengers panicking inside dozens of stationary cars, with blinking headlights adding to the chaos. One image showed a vehicle that appeared to have been damaged by a truck, possibly causing it to come to a halt in a slow-moving lane of the expressway.

“One rider was trapped for an hour and described the SOS button and onboard assistance as ineffective,” said Luka, a user on Xiaohongshu, adding that repeated attempts to contact customer service failed.

A dashcam video posted to Rednotes demonstrated how 16 autonomous vehicles were parked along the road within 90 minutes. These cars were part of Apollo Go, a self-driving ride-hailing initiative operated by Baidu in Wuhan.

A local police officer confirmed the issue, noting between 100 and 200 robotaxis had stalled, a situation deemed “common” for the Apollo Go fleet. They explained that passengers could open doors via a button but were unable to exit due to the vehicles’ position on the road. “We rescued many individuals today,” the officer stated.

The incident highlights growing challenges with autonomous vehicles, even as cities worldwide adopt self-driving technology. London, for instance, is actively testing such systems, yet similar issues have emerged in San Francisco, where Waymo users reported interruptions from vandals and graffiti artists.

In 2024, a man was seen covering the sensors of a stopped robotax, causing it to halt as a safety precaution. Other passengers recounted being trapped while their vehicles were tagged or when someone requested their phone number.

Authorities have not disclosed the exact cause of the malfunctions on the Second and Third Ring Roads, as well as Baishazhou Bridge, which occurred at 8:57 PM. They noted that emergency protocols were swiftly activated, with traffic control and transportation teams collaborating with Apollo Go staff to resolve the situation.

Hundreds of robotaxis suddenly freeze, trapping passengers on motorway

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