China's drivers fret as robotaxis pick up pace - and passengers

A driverless car by Apollo Go, Baidu's robotaxi service, drives on a road in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, July 19, 2024. A driverless car by Apollo Go, Baidu's robotaxi service, drives past another Apollo Go robotaxi parked on the side of a road, in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, July 19, 2024. Students wearing virtual reality (VR) headsets practise on car driving simulators at Eastern Pioneer Driving School in Beijing, China July 23, 2024.

Liu Yi is among China's 7 million ride-hailing drivers. A 36-year-old Wuhan resident, he started driving part-time this year when construction work slowed in the face of a nationwide glut of unsold apartments.