In Germany, autonomous buses could become part of everyday life within the next 10 years, with artificial intelligence replacing some drivers. This was reported by DW, according to UNN.
As noted, pilot projects for driverless public transport have already been launched in various regions of Germany.
In particular, in the Rhein-Erft district in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the transport company REVG plans to use up to 100 autonomous minibuses starting from 2029.
A bus manufacturer is expected to be selected by the end of 2026 following a pan-European tender. After that, the vehicles will operate on the district's routes in autonomous mode for two years, but with a safety driver on board.
During this time, the system will learn, analyzing roads, weather conditions, and potential problems. In the future, the operation of the buses will be monitored by dispatchers who can intervene remotely in the steering if necessary.
DW compares such a system to the operation of Waymo driverless taxis in San Francisco.
REVG CEO Walter Reinarz stated that the transition to AI-powered buses is partly a forced decision, as about 25% of the company's employees will leave in the coming years.
In addition, autonomous transport will make it possible to serve low-traffic routes, especially in rural areas where transportation is currently economically unviable.
At the same time, the report notes that Germany faces serious challenges in implementing such technologies—specifically due to insufficient 5G network coverage and overloaded power grids.
Despite this, Thorsten Bertram, a professor at the Institute of Robotics at the Technical University of Dortmund, believes that within a decade, the regular operation of autonomous buses will become commonplace in Germany. In the future, artificial intelligence could also be integrated into the management of subways and trains.
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