EUROPE’S FIRST SELF-DRIVING BUS HITS THE ROAD IN SPANISH CITY OF MÁLAGA

Tue 02 March 2021:

A new driverless electric bus has begun operating in the southern Spanish city of Málaga, in the first such project in Europe.

The bus, which began running on Saturday, is equipped with sensors and cameras and links Málaga’s port to the city centre on an 8km (five-mile) loop it does six times a day.

On the outside, the 12-meter (39-foot) bus looks like any other. The bus driver sits in the front seat, taking tickets for the route from the Cruise Ship Terminal to the city’s Central Park.

But on closer look, some passengers were stunned when they realized that the bus driver’s hands were not on the steering wheel and his feet were not touching the pedals. Like magic, the bus was moving on its own.

“We put it in automatic mode and it runs completely autonomously,” says Cristobal Maldonado, the driver.

A new 100% electric self-driving bus has come to Malaga, Spain. pic.twitter.com/b1fcbmI7sU

— Vala Afshar (@ValaAfshar) February 28, 2021

The bus uses artificial intelligence to improve its “decisions” based on data recorded along the route. The 12-metre (39ft) vehicle, which looks like a normal bus, can carry 60 passengers and was developed by the Spanish company Irizar.

Other driverless pilot projects already exist in Europe, but none of them involves a regular-size urban bus that runs on a normal street with other vehicles. Despite the advanced technology, there is a driver at the wheel to take control if necessary since Spanish law does not currently allow vehicles to operate without drivers.

The bus is also connected to smart traffic lights that the city purchased for €180,000 ($216,000).

“With the launch of this project, Malaga has become an urban laboratory for globally important tests. In having the first standard-sized autonomous bus that is circulating under real conditions, the city reinforces its commitment to sustainable mobility and using new technologies for transport,” said the city in a statement.

Last month, Singapore launched a self-driving bus trial with passengers booking through an app and the bus taking them around Singapore’s Science Park, a hi-tech business hub, during off-peak hours. China has also tested driverless taxis in several cities.