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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jan/28/driverless-bus-trial-in-netherlands-will-be-first-on-public-roads
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| Driverless bus trial in Netherlands is first on public roads | Driverless bus trial in Netherlands is first on public roads |
| (7 months later) | |
| An electric, driverless shuttle bus has taken to Dutch public roads on Thursday, rolling six passengers along a 200m stretch of road in the first trial of its kind worldwide. | An electric, driverless shuttle bus has taken to Dutch public roads on Thursday, rolling six passengers along a 200m stretch of road in the first trial of its kind worldwide. |
| The WePod, one of a fleet to be rolled out in coming years, took a few people on a short journey back and forth along the side of a lake in the central Dutch agricultural town of Wageningen. | The WePod, one of a fleet to be rolled out in coming years, took a few people on a short journey back and forth along the side of a lake in the central Dutch agricultural town of Wageningen. |
| At 5 miles per hour (8kmph), it did not 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.” | At 5 miles per hour (8kmph), it did not 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 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. | Several trials of 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. | “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 project will be expanded in coming months and will eventually be used as public transport along a 4-mile route in the town, she said. | The project will be expanded in coming months and will eventually be used as public transport along a 4-mile route in the town, she said. |
| In April, the Netherlands will hold the first trial of driverless semi-trucks at the port of Rotterdam, with the aim of sending cargo using autonomous road trains from Europe’s biggest port throughout the continent by 2019. | In April, the Netherlands will hold the first trial of driverless semi-trucks at the port of Rotterdam, with the aim of sending cargo using autonomous road trains from Europe’s biggest port throughout the continent by 2019. |
| The trial of the WePod was developed with Delft Technical University for roughly €3m (£2.3m). When fully operational, the WePods will travel at 15mph. | The trial of the WePod was developed with Delft Technical University for roughly €3m (£2.3m). When fully operational, the WePods will travel at 15mph. |