Breakthrough in autonomous driving
KBA: Robobuses will conquer cities by 2027 at the latest
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In five to ten years there will be widespread use of self-driving buses and trucks. The Federal Motor Transport Authority is certain of this. The first driverless vehicles will be integrated into traffic earlier. The KBA sees one city as a pioneer.
The Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) expects a near-term breakthrough in autonomous driving. “In 2026, or at the latest 2027, self-driving robo-buses will be on the road in the first cities in Germany and transport passengers,” said KBA President Richard Damm to the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung”. Hamburg, for example, could manage to have around 10,000 shuttle buses on the streets by 2030.
“It is to be expected that in five to ten years there will be widespread use of self-driving buses and trucks that operate without a driver,” emphasized Damm. In the USA, many logistics companies have long since started using autonomous trucks for long distances and are looking for partners for this.
Damm called on the transport company not to miss the robo-bus train: “The purchase is expensive, but the advantages, the flexibility gained, are huge.” Not all transport companies have taken this into account sufficiently, but they should pay more attention to these options.
The president of the authorities appealed to politicians to quickly develop the strategy for autonomous driving. “If there is no driver on board, but the computer controls it, there is no longer any need for driving and rest times, for example, or the obligation to monitor them,” said the KBA President. Legal adjustments are required. This would also create incentives for investments that could spur the ramp-up.
