Tourists and locals can now use autonomous buses in the US
Las Vegas has introduced the first autonomous bus service in the US. Currently, it is only an experiment, which will last until January 20, but if everything goes according to plan, a permanent service will be introduced by this fall.
Tourists and local alike can take these buses which operate on a designated stretch of Freemont Street. The service is brought to the city by the French company Navya, who builds the vehicle named Arma. Keolis, a global provider of public transportation systems, is also a part of this project.
The vehicle used can carry up to 12 passengers and reach a speed of 27 mph (43 km/h), but for the trial period, the speed is capped at 12 mph. For the trial period, using the line is free, but when it will be introduced permanently, there might be a fee involved. Running costs are estimated at around $10.000 a month, but though the city hopes to make up the money selling ad space on the vehicles themselves.
Arma was unveiled in the city’s Innovation District that launched last year in downtown Las Vegas. The purpose of the Innovation District is to offer a space for testing groundbreaking technology in areas such as transportation and alternative energy.