Anyone who has walked down the by the Docklands in Dublin would have noticed something a little odd. As part of the Dublin Smart Docklands initiative, Dublin City Council has a self-driving bus on the North Quays.
No joke, have a look:
As part of the @SmartDocklands initiative there's a self driving bus on the North Quays offering free lifts. @DubCityCouncil #MobilityWeek pic.twitter.com/lmRVtMEilC
— goosed.ie (@goosed_ie) September 21, 2018
Looks mad doesn’t it? Sadly it isn’t here to stay just yet as the the EZ10 bus created by EasyMile is only here as part of the “Future of Mobility” being held in Dublin as part of European Mobility Week.
Why is this being tested?
The EZ10 driverless bus as we said is being showcased as part of the long-term “Smart Docklands” project that aims to give us a look at the future of smart travel in Dublin.
“Dublin City Council through its ‘Smart City’ programme and the ‘Smart Docklands’ testbed district is encouraging a debate on the future of transport and mobility in the city,” says Owen Keegan, Chief Executive, Dublin City Council.
The frankly odd looking EZ10 is the first driverless, electric shuttle bus, which can carry up to 15 people. The bus also comes equipped with some state of the art gadgetry including advanced cameras, processors and all the other bits and pieces needed to ensure a smooth and safe journey. The bus also comes fully equipped with a built-in access ramp for passengers with reduced mobility and there is no need for additional road infrastructure to operate the vehicle.
So it doesn’t take up any extra room, it’s environmentally friendly and it’s already in daily operation at locations in the US, Holland, China and Estonia! With Dublin, being the giant European tech hub that it is, surely it’s only a matter of time before we see these flooting down the streets of the city.
Can I have a go?
Well, probably not quite yet with the first test drives scheduled for today and tomorrow. The bus can only carry 15 people but rumour has it that there are still a few tickets available for the Saturday test spin. The shuttle route will run for nearly one kilometre with four stops in place from the Dublin Convention Centre to the 3Arena.
By the way if you are in the area for the weekend why not go and have a look for yourself as Dublin City Council and its partners will host the ‘Future Mobility Showcase’ on North Wall Quay on Saturday, September 22. There will be electric scooters, bikes and family friendly events going on throughout the day.
Would you trust a driverless bus on the streets of Dublin? Well someday soon you might not have a choice.
