In advance of the upcoming discussion about self-driving technology, members of both government and opposition tested a self-running electric buses being trailed at Fornebu.
Flytoget, Telenor, Ruter, NHO and consulting company Acando have set up a small electric bus running at Fornebu outside Oslo for two days.
The bus will go during the day and is open to anyone who wants to try. Commercial Director of the Flytoget, Emil Eike, says he is excited about the feedback they received.
Both the opposition and participants from government talked about the possibility of getting such self-running buses on the roads as early as next year.
– We do not know when such self-running shuttles are put into regular traffic. Safety is the priority and first you must try out the technology.
I note that the Norwegian public company see opportunities and I think we’ll see self-running buses on the road soon, initially in closed areas, said Secretary Tom Cato Carlsen from the Ministry of Transport in conjunction with the test ride.
In November, the case of self-running buses discussed in Parliament.
While government parties believe the time is ripe and self-driving vehicles could already be tested next year, opposition are asking for more research and a strategy.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today
