Israel has launched a two-year pilot program in which four companies will operate self-driving public buses to ease road congestion, the country’s Innovation Authority said.
The authority, along with the Transportation Ministry and Ayalon Highways, chose four groups — including Egged, Israel’s largest bus operator — that will start running independent autonomous buses on public roads.
The government is providing half of an investment of $17 million for the pilot, which will be done in two stages, to examine the viability of integrating autonomous vehicles into Israel’s public transport system.
In phase one, companies will carry out pilots on self-driving buses in a closed area and operational areas to prove technological, regulatory, safety and business feasibility. In the second stage, they will operate an autonomous bus line on public roads at a range that will increase throughout the two-year pilot period.
The four groups participating include companies from Israel, the United States, France, Turkey and Norway.
“We chose the four most promising proposals and are pleased to be among the first in the world to bring autonomous vehicle technology and public transport together,” Ran Shadmi, director of the National Public Transport Authority, said.
“There is still a long way to go, but we have no doubt that this initiative has the potential to improve the service and the passenger experience on public transport and to improve safety levels.” -i24 News
Take away the driver and Half the experience of going on an Egged bus has just been thrown out of the window .
🙂
Is it also going to spped until the last second, make random stops and slam doors on people’s faces?
If not then who needs it.
והמבין יבין what they really are attempting to do is circumvent the issue of having no buses over שבת by having self driving public buses and then claiming that no-one is being מחלל שבת
Pretty scary to go on a driverless bus or car. In a chareidi neighborhood I can see a chareidi man sitting in the driver’s seat to keep it safe. At least, that’s what I would do.
I am concerned about the safety of those crossing the street (especially the children). Pray for their safety!
Did the programmers include a kosel mode to shut door on avreichim?