The world’s first fleet of autonomous commuter buses will begin picking up passengers in Scotland next month.
Key Details
- On May 15, Stagecoach’s self-driving vehicles will begin operations along a 14-mile route that includes Edinburgh’s historic Forth Road suspension bridge, according to Popular Science.
- A total of five fully autonomous buses will be available to ride, carrying approximately 10,000 passengers per week.
- Although the buses are autonomous, two staff members will be present—one to monitor the self-driving software and another to assist passengers, take tickets, and help as needed.
Why it’s news
As the world pushes for more automated innovations, self-driving cars have been a significant novelty that many have tried to perfect, but the technology has faced many setbacks.
Autonomous vehicles can drive on the road without a human controlling the vehicle. The technology is programmed with special sensors to avoid any mishaps on the road.
Many large manufacturers attempted to create self-driving cars but were unsuccessful, shutting down the ventures, including Ford, with its startup Argo AI that it ultimately pulled the plug on, saying the software was too advanced and needed more time.
On the other hand, some autonomous driving ventures have been successful, such as Stagecoach. Similar to Greyhound buses in the U.S., the company has launched a line of fully autonomous buses. Despite many manufacturers being unsuccessful with their self-driving innovations, the commuter buses have proven safe and successful and will begin carrying passengers in Scotland next month.
In January, the buses had a successful trial run on the roads it will soon occupy, backed by funding from the U.K. government, according to Popular Science.
The buses will begin carrying around 10,000 passengers per week on a 14-mile route that includes Edinburgh’s historic Forth Road suspension bridge along preselected lanes at a top speed of 50mph, while handling traffic lights and roundabouts.
The project comes as part of the U.K. government’s Project CAVForth endeavor. “CAV” stands for “connected autonomous vehicles.”
The project was launched in 2019 and has conducted years of research, planning, and development to ensure passenger safety on the bus routes. If all goes to plan, more autonomous buses will be released in other parts of the UK.
“This is an exciting milestone for this innovative and ambitious project, and I very much look forward to seeing Project CAVForth take to the roads next month,” Scotland’s Minister for Transport Kevin Stewart says in a statement, adding that the route “will really help Scotland establish its credentials on the world stage.”
How autonomous driving works
Self-driving cars are advanced technology allowing passengers to ride in a vehicle without a driver.
The vehicles are equipped with numerous sensors, lasers, and sonar technology that monitor other cars, the lines in the road, traffic lights, and anything the car could encounter while driving. While the vehicle monitors the outside, the sensors send information to the computers allowing it to steer, accelerate, and brake when needed.
The vehicles also have GPS data in the computers, directing them where to go and what routes are more efficient.
