Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

CTOnews.com, August 20 (Xinhua) San Francisco has launched a self-driving bus service less than a week after it approved the expansion of self-driving taxi operations. The free bus service will operate on Treasure Island in the middle of San Francisco Bay, connecting residential areas, shops and community centers on the island, which is home to about 2000 people. The service is a pilot project designed to assess how driverless vehicles can complement the public transport system.

The all-electric driverless bus does not have a driver's seat or steering wheel, but has an attendant who can use a hand-held controller to drive the bus if necessary. The boxy bus can accommodate up to 10 passengers and operates from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., circling every 20 minutes. There are a total of two driverless buses, one for passengers and the other for charging.

The operator of the driverless bus is Beep, a company headquartered in Orlando, Fla., which has launched similar pilot programs in more than a dozen communities in the United States. "these driverless buses are suitable for short-distance feeder routes, not to replace the public transport system," said Shelley Caran, the company's project manager. "driverless vehicles have better response time than humans and provide more reliable services because they are not distracted."

During Wednesday's test ride, the driverless bus automatically drove at a slow and cautious speed. When a public car occupies part of the road, the attendant controls the vehicle manually.

San Francisco is one of a growing number of cities around the world testing the safety and potential of driverless vehicles that are expected to change the face of public transport. But at the same time, the city has questioned the expansion of driverless taxis. CTOnews.com previously reported that last week the California Public Utilities Commission voted to allow two rival driverless taxi companies, Cruise and Waymo, to provide round-the-clock passenger service in San Francisco. However, this decision has been questioned by many people, saying that driverless taxis can cause accidental parking, traffic jams and hinder emergency vehicles. On Wednesday, the city asked the committee to suspend the expansion of driverless taxis.

Experts believe that driverless buses are unlikely to have the same problem because even with increased automation, they are expected to be equipped with drivers or attendants. Self-driving technology may make buses safer, but requiring drivers or attendants could undermine one of their potential advantages: lower labour costs.

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