The self-driving minibus "Heat" has been on the road in Hamburg's Hafencity for more than two years - those responsible now draw a positive conclusion.
It is possible to use such a bus on a set route for passenger operations, as the Hamburger Hochbahn announced on Monday.
The project provided valuable insights.
Hamburg - According to the information, the biggest challenge was coping with inner-city traffic.
Parking offenders and delivery vans in particular often ensured that someone had to intervene at the beginning.
"Autonomous buses can be an important component in the future to complement the range of buses and trains - especially during off-peak times and in districts that have not yet been so well developed," said Hochbahn boss Henrik Falk on Monday.
The Hochbahn wants to deal with the use of autonomous vehicles even after the end of the project in December.
The Heat (Hamburg Electric Autonomous Transportation) project was launched in 2018.
In the summer of 2019, the minibus was then on the streets of Hafencity for the first time - but still without passengers.
These were only allowed to ride from this August.
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The bus was developed by the development service provider IAV and travels at a speed of up to 25 kilometers per hour.
Numerous sensors ensure that, among other things, it can automatically turn or drive around obstacles.
There are three seats and four standing places on the bus.
dpa
