Keolis UK is showing off a small all-electric driverless bus that people can hop on for free, called the Navya, on a circuit in London's Olympic Park.
Following trials in Las Vegas, the bus, aided by cameras and GPS, will now drive around its 1km pre-planned circuit in London for 19 days over this month. Passengers can board the Navya at Timber Lodge cafe near the Velodrome. The bus, capable of carrying 15 people, is completely driverless and the company has insisted that it will be able to avoid hitting any pedestrians or cyclists, however, the bus will still have a conductor on board, just in case.
The bus will be cruising through the Olympic Park at a speed of 5mph. However, the company has made the bold claim that this machine is capable of eye-watering speeds of over 30mph and that this is just a flash of the exciting future of public transport to come.
The Navya joins a growing list of all-electric driverless vehicles being trialed in London, such as the driverless delivery van being developed with Ocado. But, the Navya appears to be a much smaller feat than what is already being used in China in the form of the ART.
Source: London Evening Standard | Image via London Evening Standard
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