Berlin — German rail operator Deutsche Bahn and the body responsible for regional train services in the west of the country are launching Germany's first pilot project for a driverless on-demand shuttle service in local public transport.
The vehicles are effectively driverless in a defined area, but initially a safety driver will be on board, Deutsche Bahn announced on Tuesday.
Six vehicles in Darmstadt and the Offenbach district are to be gradually put into operation in test mode. Passengers will not be allowed to travel on board for the time being, Deutsche Bahn said.
The tests are part of a project called KIRA, an acronym made up of the initial letters for the German words meaning AI-based regular operation of autonomous on-demand transport services.
Technology from the KIRA project should make it possible for the vehicles to travel in road traffic at normal speed.
The railway company says all driving manoeuvres will be decided by the vehicle, but they will be monitored by technical supervisory staff during the test period.
Deutsche Bahn hopes the services will make local public transport more attractive and flexible. The orderable shuttles should ensure comprehensive mobility, especially in rural areas, and link different modes of transport.
The project is being supported by the German Ministry of Transport to the tune of some €2.2 million ($2.35 million) and the state of Hesse. The test has been authorized by the Federal Motor Transport Authority.
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