SAN FRANCISCO – The introduction of robotaxis was just the beginning; now, driverless buses have arrived on the scene. San Francisco has unveiled an autonomous shuttle service mere days after California regulators granted approval for the expansion of robotaxis, despite lingering concerns related to traffic and safety.
This autonomous shuttle, offered as a free service, will operate daily along a fixed route named the “Loop,” encircling Treasure Island, a former U.S. Navy base nestled in the heart of San Francisco Bay. The Loop consists of seven stops, connecting residential areas with shops and community centers. Around 2,000 people reside on Treasure Island.
The all-electric shuttle boasts a design devoid of a driver’s seat or steering wheel. Instead, it is equipped with an attendant who can manually control the vehicle using a handheld device if the need arises. This shuttle service is part of a grant-funded pilot program aimed at evaluating how autonomous vehicles can complement public transportation.
Tilly Chang, Executive Director of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, emphasized the importance of the onboard attendant, stating, “Having the attendant on board makes everyone feel comfortable. This is just a demonstration for now to see, what does it look like and how does it work to have a driverless shuttle in a low-volume, low-speed environment?”
San Francisco is joining a growing list of cities worldwide that are exploring the safety and potential of self-driving vehicles to revolutionize public transit.
Beep, an Orlando-based company, operates these shuttles. They have run similar pilot programs in over a dozen U.S. communities, including services at the Miami Zoo, Mayo Clinic, and Yellowstone National Park.
Shelley Caran, Beep’s project manager, explained, “These shuttles are built for first-mile, last-mile, short connectivity routes. They’re not intended to take the place of a bus system. The autonomous vehicle will have a better reaction time than a human and will offer a more reliable service because they won’t be distracted.”
During a recent test ride, the autonomous shuttle operated cautiously in autonomous mode, with an attendant taking over manual control when needed. Passengers reported feeling safe, with one passenger, Dominic Lucchesi, stating, “I thought that it made some abrupt stops, but otherwise I felt like I was riding any other bus for the most part.”
The shuttle, with a capacity for up to 10 passengers, will run daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., making loops around the designated route every 20 minutes. San Francisco currently has two shuttles, allowing one to charge while the other transports passengers.
This autonomous shuttle pilot project emerged following the California Public Utilities Commission’s decision to permit two rival robotaxi companies, Cruise and Waymo, to offer around-the-clock passenger services in San Francisco.
Despite this approval, there have been widespread complaints that driverless taxis create unexpected stops, traffic disruptions, and block emergency vehicles. In response, San Francisco recently requested that the commission temporarily halt the expansion of robotaxis.
Cruise, a General Motors subsidiary, reported on social media that one of its robotaxis collided with a city fire truck, resulting in one passenger being hospitalized.
Experts do not anticipate encountering the same issues with driverless buses since they are expected to be staffed with drivers or attendants for the foreseeable future.
Nikolas Martelaro, an autonomous vehicle researcher at Carnegie Mellon University, noted, “Trained operators are going to be required even as we increase automation. So the question there may not be how worried should someone be about losing their job versus what should they be thinking about the potential training that’s required.”
While autonomous driving technology holds the promise of making buses safer, the presence of drivers or attendants on board could undermine one of their perceived advantages: reduced labor costs.
Art Guzzetti, Vice President at the American Public Transportation Association, commented, “We still have to find a market for them. We’re doing it to make the trip better, more efficient, not to take the worker’s job.”