The driverless vehicle, which operates on route 169 Autonom, had just left the parking lot when the first ride was suddenly interrupted. On Monday at 10 a.m., the Swedish transport company Västtrafik celebrated the start of a project that was supposed to mark an important step forward in public transport.
The bus was supposed to operate on a regular route between Gustaf Adolfs Torg and Chalmers University of Technology, and it is the first city bus in Sweden that can drive without human intervention.
But instead of a technological triumph, the premiere ended with an unpleasant incident. The tram hit the rear of the high-tech bus, after which the vehicle was badly damaged. Fortunately, no one was injured in the collision in the center of Gothenburg, but the bus had to be removed from the tracks, reports Index.hr.
The autonomous bus is part of a project carried out in close cooperation between Västtrafik, the city of Gothenburg and Vy Buss. The idea was to test the possibilities of autonomous driving in real city conditions, on a regular line and in traffic where thousands of passengers move every day.
‘An incredibly sad start,’ Per Nyrenius, project manager at Västtrafik, told Göteborgs-Posten.
It is not yet known whether the autonomous bus braked suddenly due to a decision by the computer system or whether the tram driver was solely responsible for the collision. Experts will analyze video footage and data recorded by numerous sensors on the vehicle.
The permit for this experimental project should be valid until July 2027, but after this start, its immediate future has become uncertain.
(Vijesti.ba)
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