(Yicai) June 28 -- After four months of trial operations, Chinese autonomous driving startups Pony.ai and WeRide will now start charging for trips using their self-driving taxi fleets between Beijing Daxing International Airport and Yizhuang area. It is the first time that a paid service for unmanned taxis is opened at a major transportation hub in the capital city.

Pony.ai is offering robotaxi rides between Daxing airport and Yizhuang area, which lies 40 kilometers in Daxing district, the firm said yesterday. Customers can make a booking for an airport pick-up or drop-off one day in advance using the Pony.ai app and choose from more than 1,000 collection and drop-off points in Yizhuang.

The robotaxis can handle usual driving conditions as well as rare situations such as highway toll stations, ramps, roadworks and spillage, the Guangzhou-based company added. It is said that the cars still have a safety officer inside in case of an emergency.

Passengers can download the WeRide Go app and choose their departure point and destination from 242 stations in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Zone and Daxing International Airport, WeRide also said yesterday. Passengers can track the cars, receive an estimated fare, and pay through the app.

The move is a big step in Beijing’s drive to achieve high-level autonomous driving transportation scenarios that encompasses high-speed rail stations and airports.

In February, Beijing opened a robotaxi route between Beijing Daxing International Airport and Yizhuang along 40 kilometers of expressways including the Beijing-Taipei Expressway, Daxing Airport North Line Expressway and Daxing Airport Expressway. The speed limit is set at 120 kilometers an hour, the same as with regular traffic.

Editor: Kim Taylor