Scotland’s self-driving Stagecoach bus service will launch on May 15, covering a 22,5km journey between Ferrytoll Park and Ride in Fife and the Edinburgh Park train and tram interchange, according to News.sky.com.
The Guardian reports that five of these single-decker buses will carry up to 10 000 passengers on this route every week.
The vehicles use sensors and can travel at speeds of up to 80km/h. However, each bus requires two members of staff – a safety driver to check on the technology plus a bus captain to help passengers with queries and buying tickets.
The UK currently requires safety drivers to be present at all times in autonomous vehicles.
Transport Minister Kevin Stewart said the innovative and ambitious project was an exciting milestone. He hoped it would establish Scotland on the world stage, as its road network covers a wide range of environments that provide a good testing ground for self-driving vehicles.
Stagecoach considers the project as one of the most complex in the world. The UK government said this would be the world’s first full-size, self-driving public bus service.
