Switzerland to extend driverless bus trials

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The Swiss public firm Swiss Post, which runs transport services in parts of the country, hinted at an extension of driverless bus trials, Swiss media reported on Wednesday.

The announcement came after a survey on public attitudes toward unmanned vehicles for passenger transport showed positive results.

A total of 400 people were polled in four cities and towns in different parts of Switzerland. It was found that 51 percent of the respondents had no or very minor concerns about safety, La Tribune de Geneve newspaper reported.

PostBus, a subsidiary company of the state-owned Swiss Post, said the detailed results of the survey show that "people who have traveled with SmartShuttles are significantly more positive about self-driving buses."

The town of Sion in French-speaking southwestern Switzerland pioneered the tests, where more than 25,000 passengers used a driverless shuttle service over a 12-months period.

PostBus is a subsidiary of Swiss Post that runs the driverless buses. /PostBus Photo

The survey, conducted between April and June this year, is the first study of the acceptance of driverless vehicles in Switzerland.

PostBus is also extending the shuttle service to a closed test area in a district of the Swiss capital, Bern, in a bid to gather more experience with digitalized mobility solutions.

The Swiss transport ministry is preparing proposals for a possible legal amendment to pave the way for the regular use of driverless vehicles on Swiss roads.

A government working group is due to present its findings later this year.

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Source(s): Xinhua News Agency