Driverless cabs have moved from the test lab to everyday urban life. They are already operating commercially in several cities around the world, in some cases without safety drivers. Switzerland is also preparing to get started. A look at international experience shows what is possible and where the limits still lie.
In the USA, the West is considered a pioneer. Driverless cabs have been in everyday use in Phoenix for years, and are now also in operation in parts of the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin and Atlanta. The operator isWaymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet. The vehicles operate without safety drivers, rides are booked via app and are part of regular traffic. Las Vegas is also one of the early deployment locations:Zoox, an Amazon company, is testing autonomous vehicles in a clearly demarcated area on the Strip.
China is the second major arena. Since the launch ofApollo Goin 2020, autonomous cabs have already been driving without a driver in cities with millions of inhabitants, such as Wuhan and Chongqing, as well as 13 other cities. The services are publicly bookable and are actively supported by the local authorities. China is thus deliberately focusing on rapid scaling in urban areas in order to gain experience with autonomous fleets. The fleet and range has been expanded to over 11 million trips for passengers by May 2025 with 1,000 self-driving vehicles.
Further projects exist in Singapore, in individual Japanese cities and in the Middle East, for example in Abu Dhabi. What all these locations have in common is that the vehicles will initially operate in defined zones and their areas of operation will be gradually expanded.
Experiences from everyday life
Experience to date has been ambivalent. Users report smooth, predictable journeys and a high level of compliance with the rules. Especially in heavy city traffic, robotaxis drive more defensively than human drivers. Operators point to millions of autonomously driven kilometers and accident rates that are lower than those of human drivers.
At the same time, everyday life also shows the limits of the technology. Complex traffic situations, roadworks, unclear hand signals and extreme weather conditions remain challenging. In San Francisco, the providerCruise came under pressure after several incidents, including a serious accident involving a pedestrian. This resulted in temporary driving bans and a significant setback in expansion. These events have intensified the regulatory debate worldwide and made it clear that autonomous mobility remains politically sensitive.
Focus on safety and liability
Accidents involving autonomous cabs are rare so far, but they have a high media impact. This is precisely why safety concepts, remote monitoring and clear liability rules are at the center of the discussion. In most markets, it is the operators and not the passengers who are liable. Insurers are keeping a close eye on developments, as risk profiles, loss frequencies and responsibilities are likely to change fundamentally.
And Switzerland?
Driverless transport is also coming closer in this country. Since 2025, the legal framework in Switzerland has permitted the operation of automated vehicles without drivers, provided they are approved by the authorities and operate in clearly defined areas. The first pilot projects are underway, including at theSwiss Transit Lab, where autonomous cabs are being tested in suburban communities.
At the same time, public providers are making preparations.PostBusis planning to use driverless vehicles from 2027, particularly in rural areas, in order to cover the last mile more efficiently. Test drives already started in December 2025, while international providers are looking into entering the market, initially not in large cities but in manageable areas with low traffic density.
A gradual transition
Widely available robotaxis in cities such as Zurich or Basel are not to be expected in the short term. A gradual expansion with pilot zones, limited operating times and close supervision is more likely. International experience shows: A lot is possible in terms of technology, but it will take time in terms of society and regulation.
Changes for the insurance industry
The introduction of driverless cars will fundamentally change the mobility and insurance industry. Falling accident figures are calling traditional risk models and premium structures into question, while new liability issues are affecting manufacturers, software providers and vehicle owners. For Swiss SMEs, this presents both pressure to adapt and opportunities: those who invest early in digital skills, new business models and collaborations will be able to position themselves successfully in a rapidly changing value chain.
Driverless cabs do not arrive abruptly, but quietly, section by section. And this is precisely their greatest challenge.
Small and micro brokers in the insurance industry are coming under increasing pressure. The administrative burden is growing, income remains the same and the time available for customer advice is shrinking. The cause lies less in the supervision of FINMA itself than in the complexity of regulation, a lack of standards and a lack of practical experience that overwhelms many companies. And: the client does not benefit in any way.
What was once handled by the insurers’ internal departments is now the responsibility of the broker: Quotations, policies, contract amendments. Despite this shift, remuneration has not changed. The result is end-to-end processing on the broker side with stagnating or even falling brokerage fees.
Fragmented systems
The incompatible IT systems of insurers are a major annoyance. Each company operates its own portals, formats and processes. There is a lack of standardized, machine-readable exports, such as a common XML or JSON standard. Brokers therefore have to enter data manually, which prevents automation, for example in the case of mass premium adjustments, and increases the susceptibility to errors.
Reporting obligations with little insightful value
The reports required byFINMAin accordance with the revised ISA/ARO are considered overloaded. Key figures are required that many insurers are unable to provide in a standardized form. Brokers are tinkering with Excel lists and auxiliary constructions, the benefits of which remain unclear for the supervisory authority and the market. FINMA explains on request. “The aim of the new regulation is to protect customers. This is not about small or large, but about ensuring that insured persons in the Swiss financial market receive correct advice and are protected from abuse”.
Prior to the revision, the registration of intermediaries was the main focus of supervisory activities. FINMA’s supervisory mandate has now been expanded to include ongoing supervision of intermediary activities, which requires the implementation of supervisory instruments such as reporting. This may well result in a higher administrative burden for all parties involved. However, FINMA has already publicly announced that reporting will be simplified for the 2025 financial year.
FINMA’s initial supervisory activities in the area of insurance mediation have revealed numerous irregularities among both registered and unregistered insurance intermediaries. FINMA will also continue to use supervisory tools such as reporting in order to carry out its supervisory duties efficiently and effectively.
Simplification of data and process standards by insurers, FINMA and SIBA
According to FINMA, delegating this supervisory task to industry associations is not provided for in the current regulation. Furthermore, theSwiss Insurance Brokers Association (SIBA)does not represent all brokers and insurance intermediary companies. Individual registered insurance brokers are not subject to reporting requirements, only legal entities and partnerships. The legislator has already taken care and consideration to ensure that natural persons do not have to incur any additional administrative expenses in the area of reporting.
How does SIBA justify the membership fee for small brokers?
“The effort for small brokers is proportionately much greater than for large brokerage houses, some of which have their own legal departments,” explains Markus Lehman, SIBA President. SIBA is currently working on a training platform that will benefit small brokers in particular. In addition, a three-stage training program is being developed for the 2nd pillar business. Every SIBA broker is automatically affiliated to the ombudsman’s office free of charge and, as a SIBA member, receives regular newsletters on the industry as well as various types of benefits.
Reasons for increased supervisory fees too “meagre”
“FINMA’s expanded tasks and the mandate for ongoing supervision to protect policyholders from abuse will lead to higher costs and therefore a higher registration fee and supervisory levy for independent insurance intermediaries, as the supervisory levies must be self-supporting,” says FINMA.
Although the number of supervised institutions is very high, the supervisory team is kept lean. In this way, FINMA prevents supervisory fees from being much higher. To keep fees as low as possible, it is constantly optimizing processes and making use of digitalization.
Compared to the old law, which was valid until 31.12.23, FINMA’s tasks in the area of intermediary supervision have been massively expanded by the legislator. FINMA is now responsible not only for registration, but also for ongoing monitoring of whether or not intermediaries are fulfilling their new obligations. To this end, FINMA carries out clarifications, investigations and proceedings. In addition, FINMA is investigating numerous reports and complaints from third parties regarding insurance brokerage.
Discordant tones and fees
The increasing supervisory fees and further training requirements for all employees, even office staff, are criticized. The tone in official letters is described by those affected as threatening, in a style that undermines trust in the supervisory authority. Unfortunately, FINMA still lacks transparent information on its costs. Brokers are being asked for transparency, but the financial supervisory authority is not letting them look at their cards.
Between lobby and everyday life
Although SIBA is committed to the industry, small brokers hardly feel represented. Membership fees and priorities are geared towards larger firms. There is a lack of tangible, rapid simplification in day-to-day business for micro-brokers, such as standardized data, practical templates and digital standards.
Markus Lehmann disputes this: “We treat all members equally. Small brokers regularly contact us with questions and seek support for their problem areas. SIBA has also been looking after smaller brokers for two years. By changing the admission requirements, registered small brokers could also join SIBA and benefit from the quality seal. Small brokers can also join if they meet the conditions and are not active in the health insurance business.
What needs to change
A common data and process standard for all insurers, supported by the industry, supervisory authorities and SIBA, would be the greatest lever. Leaner reporting obligations that only access standardized data could significantly reduce bureaucracy. Equally necessary is the recognition of existing qualifications and bundled audit procedures.
Help can be provided by implementing optimal CRM and automation, says Markus Lehmann, “especially when it comes to FINMA’s unspeakable data collection”. FINMA could achieve the greatest relief by cutting back on meaningless data collection. “With financial supervision instead of abuse supervision, FINMA has taken on far too much that is of no use to anyone, and certainly not for the protection of clients,” says Lehmann.
What do the insurers say?
FromHelvetia‘s perspective, the responsibility for developing corresponding standards clearly lies withIG B2B, which should define the relevant specifications in collaboration withEco-Hub AGand ensure cross-industry acceptance.Paxalso considers the standardization of data interfaces and processes to be fundamentally sensible, especially in order to keep the processes as simple as possible for smaller brokers. This is why the insurer supports all initiatives, including in the Eco-Hub shareholders’ meeting, to make the necessary data and interfaces available in a centralized and standardized manner. At the same time, Pax is consciously differentiating itself with services and solutions for brokers that go beyond the industry standard. Pax already offers individual connections for larger partners and is currently examining the provision of generic APIs for all its partners. Pax also anticipates the key figures required by FINMA and provides additional information on the annual financial statements as a further simplification for its sales partners.
If insurers outsource back-office work to brokers, this should be remunerated via higher brokerage fees or service fees. And communication between supervisors and brokers must become more of a partnership: binding, respectful, sensible and practical.
IG B2B has been setting standards (core processes) for the industry since 2003
Founded with the aim of optimizing communication between brokers and insurers, IG B2B promotes digitalization in the insurance industry. To this end, standards for digital data exchange were defined and Eco-Hub (formerly BrokerGate) was created as a joint digital ecosystem for the standardized and secure exchange of data.
The cooperation between the IG B2B association and Eco-Hub is central to this: While IG B2B is responsible for the technical recording and development of the standard as well as the support and maintenance of the needs of the insurance market, Eco-Hub is responsible for its technical implementation, the operation of the Eco-Hub platform and the further development of digital services.
IG B2B and EcoHub provide structured data that can be processed directly by software solutions for brokers. “This significantly reduces the administrative workload for brokers, a real added value in a dynamic market environment,” says Katia Jakob, Managing Director of IG B2B.
According to Markus Lehmann, standards for the industry have been the number one topic for many years, which is why IG B2B was founded from within the broker scene. In a second step, Ecohub AG was implemented. “But everything is going far too slowly. What’s more, insurers – out of caution, fear and data protection – are still standing too firmly on the brakes”.
Self-help through cooperation
In the short term, small brokers can ease the burden through cooperation and shared tools. An open exchange platform without association bureaucracy could become a laboratory for practical solutions. However, SIBA President Markus Lehmann takes a different view. He says: “This can only be achieved via IT companies such as WMC with suitable tools.”
Written by thebrokernews8 January 2026 
