(Queensferry) An autonomous bus line will go into service next week in Edinburgh, a first in the United Kingdom, although drivers will remain present in the vehicles to regain control in the event of an emergency.
“The autonomy technology present in the bus has already been tested in the past but this is the first time that it has been used on a bus line,” Peter Stevens, director of public affairs for the bus, told AFP. the Stagecoach company, during a demonstration on Thursday near Edinburgh.
This new line, approximately 22 kilometers long, located in the west of the Scottish capital, plans to transport approximately 10,000 passengers per week.
In the five buses in service, which will be able to run at a speed of up to 50 km/h, a driver will still be present to check that the technology is working properly, as provided for by British law which does not yet authorize the circulation of fully autonomous vehicles on public roads.
Another agent will be on board to check tickets and answer questions from users.
An on-board system with artificial intelligence will detect other vehicles on the road to avoid collisions, while cameras and radar will scan the road to avoid pedestrians.
According to Peter Stevens, the service will be safer and more efficient with fuel savings of up to 20%.
“The system can respond faster than a human’s reaction time” when needed, he explained.
And the more the buses run, the more data they will collect to further “advance travel time in autonomy”, he added.
This new service is “something new, exciting to see, part of our technological revolution”, rejoices with AFP Callum Jones, bus driver.
In 2021, a driverless electric bus was put into service in Malaga, Spain, a project presented as a first in Europe. Trials were also conducted in South Korea the same year, and in Singapore in early 2023.