Investing.com-- Autonomous driving startup Pony Ai Inc (NASDAQ: PONY ) has received approval to launch fully driverless commercial robotaxi services in Shenzhen’s Nanshan District, the company announced on Wednesday.

This approval allows Pony.ai to provide autonomous ride-hailing services to the public without a safety operator present in the vehicle

This milestone follows its successful rollout of paid driverless taxis in the neighboring Bao’an District.

"Pony.ai is the first and only company to receive approval for fully driverless commercial robotaxi services in Nanshan District," the company said in a statement.

Nanshan is a densely populated business and technology hub, has one of China’s highest GDPs, and features key landmarks such as China Resources Tower and Shenzhen Bay Park.

Expanding into Nanshan will accelerate public adoption and validate the reliability of the company’s technology in complex urban environments, said Pony.ai CEO James Peng.

With this expansion, Pony.ai’s driverless service now connects Shenzhen’s major transit hubs, including Bao’an International Airport and Qianhai Free Trade Zone. The company has logged 45 million kilometers of autonomous driving, including 5 million fully driverless kilometers, it said.