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Switzerland Starts Testing Autonomous Bus On Public Roads

Switzerland’s leading public bus operator has commenced testing self-driving buses on public roads.
Autonomous shuttle bus 1 photo
Photo: Postauto.ch
These are driverless buses that are fully-electric and that can transport 11 passengers at a time. Their top speed is limited to 20 km/h (12.4 mph), but the project can improve the technology behind autonomous cars, as well as boosting acceptance of driverless vehicles.

The project is being run in a partnership between the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne and Mobility Lab Sion Valais. The objective of this project is to help researchers develop more effective fleet management algorithms, improve traffic conditions, and advance self-driving vehicles.

The self-driving bus from Switzerland will only operate in the historical district of Sion, the largest city of the Canton of Valais. Furthermore, passengers will use this bus free of charge.

Each shuttle will have a trained attendant on board, which will have to ensure that the vehicle is operating properly and that the passengers are safe. In the unlikely scenario that something goes wrong, the human attendant has two failsafe options, in the form of emergency stop controls.

The electric buses have an access ramp for physically challenged passengers, and air conditioning is installed. Moreover, they have been fitted with a second battery, so that travelers do not risk waiting on the side of the road if the primary accumulator runs out of “juice.”

Naturally, all of the buses will be monitored by a team of teleoperators, which will observe the actions of every vehicle in the fleet. Just like the personnel which will be on board these buses, the teleoperators have the ability to stop each and every bus from a distance, if they discover a fault which would put somebody at risk.

The new smart shuttle from PostBus also comes with a flexible timetable, which will include a few fixed stops. Passengers will be able to use an app to check whether the bus is available and if it is on the road when they want to ride it, as it only drives from Tuesday to Sunday.
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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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