A proposal to provide an autonomous shuttle bus service on the University of British Columbia’s (UBC) main campus is moving forward.
BCAA and the university will start planning two routes on the universities campus using the EasyMile EZ10 autonomous shuttle.
The EasyMile EZ10 is a fully autonomous vehicle that uses cameras, lidar, and GPS to move on its set route.
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The project is mainly about the research, rather than mobility for students. UBC will use the vehicle to research the technology and see how it could be applied to a broader audience.
The TransLink Board already voted to approve the project as it does not require TransLink oversight or approval. The funding for the project is through Transport Canada and UBC.
However, UBC will need to receive an amendment or exemption from the provincial government for the project to move forward. As driverless or autonomous vehicles are not legal for use in public in the province.
If all goes to plan, the shuttle will go into operation in early 2022.
The pilot project will see one route on the pedestrian path from Thunderbird Boulevard to West 16 avenue, a total length of 750 m. At the same time, the second route would be a 2.2 km loop from the UBC bookstore to Stadium Street.
Source: Prince George Citizen
