(Yicai Global) Oct. 28 -- Ruqi Mobility, the ride-hailing unit of Chinese auto giant GAC Group, has launched a hybrid service of manned and driverless taxis in Guangzhou.

Guangzhou-based Ruqi added more than 60 robotaxis to its fleet in the southern Chinese city’s Nansha district yesterday. While rival apps allow users to directly order robotaxis, Ruqi has a back-end system that decides what kind of car is dispatched, depending on factors such as expected waiting time as well as pick-up and drop-off points.

The commercial operation of self-driving vehicles is permitted in specific areas and for certain periods of time in cities across China, including Guangzhou, Beijing, and Shenzhen. Ruqi will be the first ride-hailing platform to start a hybrid robotaxi operation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Chief Operations Officer Han Feng said.

Mixed use of automated taxis and their conventional counterparts is closer to real-world transport scenarios, an industry insider said, adding that this can help service providers speed up the commercialization and adoption of autonomous driving technologies.

Ruqi, also known as On Time, closed a Series A financing round worth over CNY1 billion (USD138.2 million) in April, becoming the first Chinese transport platform to secure investment from two self-driving startups, WeRide and Pony.ai. Its investors also include a Tencent affiliate and Guangzhou Public Transport Group.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Futura Costaglione