[pests]

> waiting for you with the open door and closing the door for you as you enter

I know you meant more than this, but I'm sure automating opening and closing the doors will be a lesser challenge then developing autonomous self driving?

[bluepizza]

Taxi doors already automatically open and close in major Japanese metro areas.

There is a certain romance around good service, but the good service is not the reason why people use taxis here.

One could make a similar argument that self service restaurants serving revolving sushi, or tablet ordered sushi miss the good service of a great restaurant. Yet these places are wildly popular, because one goes there to eat.

[numpad0]

Old Japanese sedan style taxis universally had a handbrake-like lever around front driver side door sill that opens rear passenger side door through a mechanical linkage.

Toyota JPN Taxi[1] replaced most sedan cabs, and it has electric sliding doors which is nicer than swing-out doors. Already opens and closes with electronic commands from driver seat. No big deal.

1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_JPN_Taxi

[ChumpGPT]

Taxis in Tokyo already have automated doors. The Toyota Crown's rear doors can open and close without the Cab driver getting out.

[ijustlovemath]

I don't think that would elicit the same feeling as a driver doing it