− The trials proceeded smoothly and safely without incidents. A total of 19,021 journeys, amounting to 3,962 kilometres, were made in 31 days. The average number of passengers per day was 600, with 1,013 on the busiest day, says Topias Pihlava, Project Manager at the City of Vantaa.
The new service was praised
Passengers were asked to rate the service in two enquiries and a public survey was carried out in the Kivistö region. A clear majority were very satisfied with the driverless shuttle bus service.
The view from the bus, the smooth and even ride and the integration with other transport modes were especially praised. The usability of the service and the competent guides were also appreciated. The greatest concern was passenger safety on evening and night-time buses, which the majority of respondents would like to be manned.
− The driverless buses use technology which, in the future, will offer new opportunities for arranging, for example, feeder traffic. This trial showed that the passengers have an open mind, says Kimmo Sinisalo, Contract Manager at HSL.
Of the respondents, 43 per cent considered autonomous cars safer than traditional cars, whereas 15 per cent considered them less safe. Emissions and energy consumption are expected to decline as autonomous vehicles become more common. Lower insurance premiums and better transport opportunities for the elderly and people with disabilities were considered to be the most important benefits. Younger respondents were more interested in owning their own autonomous car in the future.
− The trial period gave us important additional information about trial arrangements and customer attitudes towards driverless buses. We believe that driverless buses are a part of future transport, and through trials we strive to make them a natural part of public transport at certain locations in Finland sometime soon, says Asta Tuominen, Development Manager at the Finnish Transport Agency.
Buses performed well during the trial period
The bus manufacturer received important feedback on further improvements concerning the reliability of the software in the buses, which is still being developed.
− Thanks to the trial, we received vital information on the technical performance of the buses and on the circumstances that still pose a problem. During the trial period, it was stated that the present legislation already allows driverless vehicles to be used for transport i Finland. An organisation doing research on autonomous cars can be granted a test plate certificate by Trafi, and vehicles with test plates can be used in normal traffic, says Chief Adviser Anna Schirokoff at Trafi.
− In the future, autonomous cars will have a great impact on society, as they improve traffic safety and ensure a smooth traffic flow, says Senior Advisor Rosa Tuomi at the Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council.
The trial was conducted at the Housing Fair in Vantaa 10 July - 9 August 2015. The trial participants were the City of Vantaa, Helsinki Region Transport, the Finnish Transport Agency, the Finnish Transport Safety Agency Trafi and the Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council.
Further information:
Topias Pihlava, Project Manager, City of Vantaa, [email protected]
Asta Tuominen, Development Manager, Finnish Transport Agency, +358 29 534 3918, [email protected]