Next week, Scotland will launch its first driverless bus network. According to the details, the buses will run without any input from the drivers. Although, the drivers will remain behind the wheel in case of an emergency.
The operator said that the world’s first automated local bus service will carry 10,000 passengers a week on five single-deck buses over a 22.5-kilometer route.
After a test run near Edinburgh, Stagecoach bus service policy director Peter Stevens said,
The autonomous technology on this bus has been tested before but this is the first time that it has been put on to a bus that’s now a registered local bus service.
Since UK law does not allow fully autonomous vehicles, the buses, which will travel up to 80 km/h, will have a safety driver. A conductor will handle ticketing and passenger inquiries.
The Advance Driver Assistance System (ADAS) of these buses uses optical cameras and radar to check for pedestrians while the onboard system detects other road users to avoid collisions.
An artificial intelligence engine in the control system uses data from the bus to locate it and calculate the safest route. Stevens promised a safer, more fuel-efficient, and better customer experience with the new service.
