Dutch test first ever driverless bus WePod

An electric, driverless shuttle bus has taken to the Dutch public roads, rolling six passengers along a 200 metre stretch of road in the first trial of its kind worldwide.

The WePod, one of a fleet to be rolled out in coming years, will ride back and forth in the central Dutch agricultural town of Wageningen.

At 8 kilometres (5 miles) per hour, it’s not going to set a speed record, “but an unmanned vehicle has never been used on public roads,” the project’s technical director, Jan Willem van der Wiel, said.

“This is a milestone.”

Several trials of so-called autonomous vehicles are under way in the automotive and technology industries, from Tesla’s Model S sedan, which can change lanes with minimal driver input, to plans by Google and Daimler to introduce driverless vehicles.

“There are initiatives all over the world, but this is the first time one will operate without a driver, on a public road,” said Iris van Cattenburch of Connekt, a group of companies developing sustainable public transport.

The shuttle pilot project will be expanded in coming months and will eventually be used as public transport along a 6 kilometre route in the town, she said.

In April, the Netherlands will hold the first trial with driverless semi-trucks at Rotterdam port.