Israel’s Innovation Authority has announced the launch of a two-year pilot program to study the viability of using autonomous public buses for passenger transportation.
The project will operate in collaboration with the Transportation Ministry and Ayalon Highways. The two bodies have also chosen four companies to support the scheme, including Egged, Israel’s largest bus operator, to implement the self-driving vehicles.
The state will reportedly cover half of the total operating cost of the pilot, which is 61 million NIS (£14.8m).
The first stage of the trial will involve testing the technology’s viability from commercial, legal and safety perspectives, and will be contained within limited operational areas.
The second phase will reportedly involve the operation of autonomous bus lines on public roads, with the range of distance travelled expected to grow throughout the pilot.
“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,” said Ran Shadmi, director of Israel’s National Public Transport Authority.
“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.”
Some of the organisations taking part hail from Israel, the United States, France, Turkey and Norway.
