Driverless buses to be trialled in ACT retirement village

The ACT Government has approved an application from community-owned provider Illawarra Retirement Trust (IRT) and autonomous vehicle manufacturer, Easymile, to test the new technology at IRT’s Kangara Waters village in Belconnen – 16 kilometres north of Canberra.

The two-week trial will see one bus used to shuttle residents around the 150-home village – dropping them to village amenities such as the community centre, library or café.

The battery-powered Easymile bus can hold up to 15 passengers and travel up to 25 kilometres an hour – however an eight passenger and 10 kilometre per hour speed limits will both apply for the trial and an operator will sit in the vehicle at all times as a safety precaution.