CANBERRA, June 20 (Xinhua) -- A South Australian university commuter bus has become the fastest driverless vehicle on Australia's public roads, after it was trialled in Adelaide on Wednesday.
It was the first time a driverless vehicle has been allowed on public roads in South Australia, with the State government giving special permission for Flinders University to proceed with the trial.
Despite becoming the fastest driverless vehicle on Australia's public roads, the shuttle bus will only reach the top speed of 30 km per hour.
The Flinders Express, or FLEX, was unveiled in Adelaide on Tuesday to launch a five-year trial, transporting university students in southern suburbs.
The state government contributed 750,000 U.S. dollars towards the 3 million U.S.-dollar project, with South Australian Transport Minister Stephan Knoll saying the technology was an important step forward.
"This technology is safe and the idea is in fact that autonomous vehicles will help to make our roads safer," Knoll said on Wednesday.
The French-designed Navya Arma electric shuttle can carry up to 15 passengers at speed of up to 40 km per hour, but will travel up to 30 km per hour during the trial.
The shuttle will be managed by an on-board chaperone who will talk to users about the technology and ensure their safety.
The trial is being carried out by Flinders University in partnership with Cohda Wireless, Renewal SA, SAGE Automation, Telstra, UPG, ZenEnergy and public transport operator Keolis Downer.
Flinders University Chancellor Stephen Gerlach said he hoped the community would embrace the use of the bus.
"There's always a natural concern about not finding someone behind a steering wheel, but I think that as people get more accustomed to it I don't think that's going to be an issue that can't be overcome," Gerlach said on Tuesday.
Australia's first driverless bus trial commenced in September 2016, in South Perth, making around 1,500 thirty-minute trips, and carrying more than 4,300 passengers on the open road in its first year of operation.
Earlier in 2018, La Trobe University in Victoria began offering members of the public rides in its Navya-made The Autonobus. More than a thousand people signed up to take a trip.
An Ipsos survey, conducted across 28 countries and released in April, revealed Australians were less optimistic than the international average about the perceived benefits of driverless cars across.
The poll found 16 percent of Australians "would never use" an autonomous vehicle.
The international market for autonomous vehicles is expected to be worth 7 trillion USD by 2050.
