Do you ever take the bus from Meijersplein metro station to Rotterdam The Hague Airport? Then there is a good chance that you will soon step into an automatically driving bus. This marks Rotterdams first steps towards more self-driving vehicles.
Starting August 1, the bus will operate under the name Shuttle Rotterdam The Hague Airport between Meijersplein and the airport. It is the first self-driving bus on public roads in the Netherlands, a true premiere.
The vehicle is fully electric and wheelchair accessible. It can carry at least 20 passengers, including luggage. Initially, 1 bus will run on the route, and later another will be added.
On Friday, July 11, the festive opening took place. Guests made their first ride with the self-driving bus.
Remote supervision
The route between Meijersplein and the airport is straightforward and has few difficult traffic situations. This makes the route ideal for the automatically driving buses. During the rides, there will always be a specially trained driver on board for at least the coming year. This driver can manually control the bus if necessary. In a year, it will be assessed whether this supervision can transition to remote supervision. In that case, there will be no driver on board, but a qualified person will monitor from a distance.
In recent weeks, the self-driving bus has already conducted test rides. There were no passengers on board during these tests. After extensive testing by the Dutch Vehicle Authority (RDW), the bus is now allowed to operate with passengers.
More automated transport
The use of the bus is a first step towards more automated transport in the future. Self-driving vehicles can help deploy staff more intelligently. Moreover, they contribute to road safety. The buses are equipped with sensors, radar, and cameras that constantly monitor the environment and adjust accordingly. Since the vehicles are fully electric, they also help reduce CO₂ emissions and improve air quality.
Line number 533
The 2 self-driving buses will be assigned line number 533. Starting September 1, they will be included in the RET schedule. Link opens an external page. Bus line 33 will continue to operate the route, with a driver on board.
The arrival of the self-driving buses has been made possible by intensive and long-term collaboration between RET, Rotterdam The Hague Airport, MRDH, HTM, DAM Shuttles, and the municipality of Rotterdam.