Self-driving buses pass university tests

A driverless bus being tested by the University of Malaga has passed with flying colours and may go into regular service soon.

The self-driving vehicle was introduced to the public back in 2021 offering a free service in exchange for passenger feedback. One of the routes was ferrying passengers from docked cruise ships to the centre of Malaga City. Since then, the auto-piloted vehicle has been under intense scrutiny by the Department of Transport Management at Malaga University who have been testing the safety and public perception of the future service.

Public perception of self-drive buses generally good

There were 3 phases to the studies carried out: In the first phase, the bus was tested on a mapped out route with the guidance of technology installed in traffic lights. The second part tested the bus on routes without passengers. And in the third phase, on an 8km route with passengers along the Paseo del Parque and the Port of Malaga. The latter test looked at public perception and possible issues with the how users view the buses.

In total, 1,281 passengers travelled on the autonomous bus free of charge, and according to the results of the studies, there was a generally positive reaction from the public. Some issues were highlighted by bus users though, including perceptions of the elderly and the possible effects on the employment of bus drivers.

No dates have been set for the regular introduction of the robot buses and issues of insurance and driver responsibility remain a legal sticking point for the self-driving vehicle industry in Spain.