TAXIS OF THE FUTURE?
Last Monday, Anna Wilson returned to Phoenix, Arizona, after a business trip abroad. At the airport a taxi was waiting to take her home, and she got into the soft, comfortable back seat. In front of her in the taxi was a mini computer screen. Touching it, Wilson adjusted the temperature and chose some quiet music. Then she relaxed for the rest of the ride. When she arrived home, she did not thank the driver. But she was not being rude – there was simply no driver to thank.(lines 1–5)
The vehicle Wilson went home in is known as a "robotaxi." Robotaxis have special cameras and lasers. These devices see everything on the street in all directions at the same time – something a single pair of human eyes can never do. All the data is continuously sent to a powerful computer inside the car. Using this information, the computer decides moment by moment how to drive the robotaxi safely to its destination.(lines 6–10)
Phoenix was the first city in the world where robotaxis were used. In 2020, there were thirty on its streets. Only five years later, there were already 1,500. During those years, robotaxi companies began to operate in other major cities in the USA and in China. Now they are expanding their services to many more cities, including several in Europe. Transportation experts predict this trend will continue, with robotaxis operating in most major cities in the world by 2040.(lines 11–15)
"These predictions seem surprising when you realize that people are very worried about the safety of driverless vehicles," says transportation journalist Steven Travis. "When such cars were tested on roads in the USA in 2017, surveys showed that most people were unwilling to ride in one. They didn't even want to be anywhere near one that was moving. And recent surveys show the same level of concern still exists today."(lines 16–20)
Aware of such concerns, robotaxi companies have been taking various measures to increase public trust in the safety of their vehicles. One common strategy, for example, is to offer free rides to a few hundred local people and ask for their feedback. "Those passengers see for themselves how safe and comfortable the drive is," says Travis. "And they also tell other people about it. As the news spreads, more and more people are willing to ride in a robotaxi."(lines 21–25)
The measures taken by the companies have proved to be successful. "People who ride even once in a robotaxi do change their minds," says Travis. "One survey, for example, showed that these people no longer worried about safety issues. Moreover, they said they enjoyed travelling in a robotaxi and would recommend it to friends. So it seems that the predictions regarding robotaxis are justified. In coming years, we may indeed see these vehicles everywhere."(lines 26–30)