The first automated bus trial in Taichung is to take place in June for seven months, with the designated route taking passengers from the Taichung Public Library Dajia Branch to the Port of Taichung, the Directorate-General of Highways said.
Pending the trial’s success and potential amendments to regulations on automated driving, automated buses could become part of the Demand-Responsive Transportation System (DRTS) aimed at supporting countryside public transportation, the agency aid.
The DRTS program also aims to support the nation’s smart transportation industry, it said.
Photo courtesy of the Directorate-General of Highways
The agency has allocated NT$100 million (US$3.3 million) to fund the program.
The program would use a medium-sized vehicle that can carry about 10 passengers, it said, adding that trial tests in cordoned-off test areas and half-regulated grounds have been conducted.
The route, which spans 12km from the library to the port, was chosen to facilitate local transportation for school children, public servants, individuals conducting business at the city’s Daan District Office and tourists, the agency’s Department of Construction deputy director Lee Chung-chang (李忠璋) said.
Passenger trials are expected to start in June after preliminary systems have been tested to ensure they are stable, he said.
A second phase would set the terminal at Changhua County’s Lugang Township (鹿港), expected to bring the route’s total length to 44km, he said.
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