Self-Driving Bus To Take The Road In Scotland
The United Kingdom's first full-sized driverless bus trial will take place in Scotland on 15 May.
The 14-mile route between Ferrytoll Park and Ride in Fife and Edinburgh Park train and tram interchange will be served by self-driving buses, representing a significant advancement in the field of autonomous transportation.
The buses will have sensors enabling them to travel on pre-selected roads at up to 50mph. Each bus will have two members of staff on board.
Five single-decker autonomous buses will have the capacity for about 10,000 passenger journeys per week.
At present, fully driverless cars are not legally permitted in the UK, and a safety driver is required at all times in all autonomous vehicles, although the government is working on an updated legal and assurance framework.
Stagecoach, UK’s largest bus and coach operator, in partnership with Fusion Processing, is running the service to see how modern technology works. There are no immediate plans to remove the driver from the cab.
Long Time In The Making
The trial known as the CAVForth project has been a long time in the making. Trials were intended to begin long ago but were faced with multiple delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, the buses are imminently ready to hit the public roads.
The scheme has also been given financial support by the UK government's Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles.
Government officials hope that the vehicles will eventually offer consumers more convenience by making journeys faster and more reliable, as well as improving safety by encouraging more people to use public transport.
Other cities are also exploring introducing driverless buses, though these are not thought to be as advanced as the project in Edinburgh.
Driverless buses will revolutionise public transport however it bears a higher stake than driverless cars as there are more people on board a bus and would cause a lot more damage.
While in Scotland, you may also consider visiting Machester which was named one of the must-visit destinations for 2023.
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