It may seem like self-driving buses are a thing of the future, but residents of Toronto will be able to ride in one next spring.
In an announcement Wednesday, Toronto mayor John Tory said the city has signed an agreement with Local Motors by LM Industries to deliver an Olli 2.0 autonomous shuttle for a pilot project.
This morning we announced that the City has signed an agreement with @localmotors to deliver the Automated Shuttle Trial, which is set to begin operating next Spring. pic.twitter.com/aYl3ofOeKB
— John Tory (@JohnTory) October 14, 2020
The self-driving shuttle will be able to carry up to eight passengers, and is wheelchair-accessible. It will be used for Scarborough residents living in a “transit dead-zone” to transport them to the Rogue Hill GO station.
“It’s a long walk for residents to get out to the Lawrence bus, so this will shorten their commute time and hopefully encourage more residents to take public transit,” said Scarborough-Rouge Park councillor Jennifer McKelvie.
To ensure the shuttle is working as intended, a safety assistant and a customer service ambassador will be on board for every trip.
The pilot project, called the Automated Shuttle Trial, will be run in partnership with Metrolinx and the Government of Canada, and last for 6-12 months.
Here's a look at Toronto's first ever self-driving shuttle bus scheduled to hit the streets in Spring of 2021.
The electric, autonomous vehicle will run from a Scarborough neighborhood to the Rouge Hill GO station for a 6-12 month trial period. pic.twitter.com/3PwfxE6xFp
— Kamil Karamali (@KamilKaramali) October 14, 2020
Source: Global
