Driverless electric bus a glimpse into the future
Montrealers got a glimpse of the future in public transportation with free demo rides aboard a driverless shuttle bus.
The “autonomous driverless electric” shuttle bus operated in a closed circuit next to the Palais des Congrès, where the 2017 Montreal Global Public Transport Summit runs until Wednesday.
Passengers were given a short ride around a public square (Place Jean-Paul Riopelle) aboard the Navya shuttle, which followed a pre-determined, mapped-out route via GPS.
Most passengers seemed to like the electric shuttle’s smooth ride.
“It’s incredible,” said Leonardo Secondi, who enjoyed his short spin.
“It’s super-smooth. It can detect if anything comes at it from 100 metres away, then it will come to a dead stop. It is state-of-theart,” said Secondi, adding that such driverless shuttles are the future.
“There is no doubt about it,” he said. “I see it doing downtown to the airport — straight down and straight back. It’s very safe and you feel safe also.”
“I like it,” said fellow passenger Emidio Velenosi. “I think it’s the future of transportation. It’s more smooth than (a Montreal bus).”
One downside though, Secondi noted, is that driverless shuttles could put bus drivers out of work.
“That’s the problem,” he said. “That was my first thought.”
Richard Preyde, a manager of fleet maintenance with public transit in Oakville, Ont., said he found the shuttle “interesting ” because of its advanced technology.
Preyde said the shuttle represents the future of public transit.
Asked whether he would be concerned about a driverless bus wheeling its way through rushhour traffic, he replied: “Not at all. It would definitely have its use. It wouldn’t replace the whole system, but definitely in the downtown corridor you could see that.”
What about a downtown to airport shuttle? “Not in my lifetime,” he said.
“It was very reactive,” said Dominic Chaumont of Montreal. “Anytime someone was in front of it, it actually stopped (abruptly).”
“Would it be functional in real life? That’s another question, but it was a good ride,” Chaumont said.
Although the shuttle can reach speeds of 45 kilometres per hour, it didn’t get much above 20 to 25 km/h around the busy square.
It accommodates 15 passengers: 11 sitting and four standing.
The shuttle has an on-board digital screen, intercom system and a 360-degree camera. The use of multi-sensory technology — cameras and 2D and 3D perception sensors — allow for precise vehicle positioning and obstacle detection.
For example, the shuttle will come to a sudden stop when it detects a pedestrian crossing the street or another vehicle in its path.
The interior cabin also comes equipped with safety features like seat belts.
The use of autonomous electric shuttle addresses such urban issues as traffic, parking and pollution.
Nicolas de Crémiers, Navya’s marketing director, said the shuttle is already operating in a dozen cities on five continents, including in France, Switzerland, Qatar, New Zealand, Australia and U.S.
As for safety concerns, de Crémiers said the shuttle had transported more than 130,000 passengers as of March, without a single accident to report.
There are plans to launch a pilot project with city of Terrebonne.
More pilot projects will likely be announced in 2018, he said.
De Crémiers said driverless shuttles have some advantages.
“It’s more efficient,” he said, while noting that the buses could operate at night, when there are fewer buses.
De Crémiers said driverless shuttles are meant as a complimentary service to existing transit systems, not as replacements.