Japan's Silent Strategy for Driverless Cars(forbes.com)
forbes.com
Japan's Silent Strategy for Driverless Cars
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tromero/2018/04/03/what-ubers-crash-tells-us-about-japans-silent-strategy-for-driverless-cars/#557ea1c23e39
8 comments
In our village the local bus is always full of pensioners, without it their ability to get around and hence their quality of life would be compromised.
Sadly it isn't financially viable, it's only running now because of money from a local property development. Once that runs out I doubt it will continue.
Perhaps a driverless bus would be affordable.
Sadly it isn't financially viable, it's only running now because of money from a local property development. Once that runs out I doubt it will continue.
Perhaps a driverless bus would be affordable.
> The focus on autonomous buses is fantastic. This is a way of developing the AI without being a direct threat to taxi and bus drivers.
Wouldn't autonomous buses be a threat to bus drivers?
Manhattan should be leading the way for autonomous buses and taxis. We have grid based streets for the most part. It is ideal for autonomous transportation systems.
Wouldn't autonomous buses be a threat to bus drivers?
Manhattan should be leading the way for autonomous buses and taxis. We have grid based streets for the most part. It is ideal for autonomous transportation systems.
>Wouldn't autonomous buses be a threat to bus drivers?
Yes and no, if - as seemingly is the case for the projects in Japan - the driverless buses replace NOT any existing bus but extend services (to elder people) by makig more buses affordable.
Most probably if/when the technology will actually be viable (even if limited to "simpler" lower traffic routes) there will be a race by all extra-urban bus companies to get them (and fire their drivers).
Yes and no, if - as seemingly is the case for the projects in Japan - the driverless buses replace NOT any existing bus but extend services (to elder people) by makig more buses affordable.
Most probably if/when the technology will actually be viable (even if limited to "simpler" lower traffic routes) there will be a race by all extra-urban bus companies to get them (and fire their drivers).
Very interesting, it answered quite a few questions I had not dared to ask.
In the UK there are many places where it's not practical to run a bus service but at the same time it would be extremely useful to have one. The buses don't need to be huge just regular.
Buses in rural areas also tend to stop much earlier so if you go out drinking it's either designated driver, expensive taxi or as I'm sure many do just drink a bit less and take the risk of not getting caught.
I think bus and taxi drivers are the last people we should be replacing as they are professional drivers who are the safest. But if we can extend bus routes whilst keeping bus drivers on the busiest then it makes sense.