The Chinese autonomous driving company WeRide has recently announced that it has officially begun unmanned minibus Robobus service at Guangzhou International Bio Island. However, different from the electric autonomous vehicles till now, this minibus gets rid of all traditional controls like the steering wheels, throttles, or brakes pedals. According to a report by Pandaily, WeRide has officially begun operations of their unmanned Robobus service at Guangzhou International Bio Island. WeRide has introduced the new service after two years of successful operations of their Robotaxi commercial service (China’s first) in the region.
The Robobus is a pure electric vehicle and
has a top speed of 40 kilometers per hour. It can achieve safe and stable
unmanned driving services along urban roads, expressways, and tunnels in rush
hours and under inclement weather conditions. After thorough research and
investigation of the daily traffic on Guangzhou International Bio Island,
Robobus has opened two operating routes in its first phase and will further offer
services throughout the entire island.
Robobus operates 7 days a week, from 8:00
a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Monday to Friday. On Saturday and Sunday however, the bus
operates from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Additionally, Passengers can view
real-time locations and the running status of the vehicles on their “WeRide Go”
app. Robobus vehicles will initially have volunteers who will help first-time
passengers to understand and familiarize themselves with the autonomous
vehicle’s workings. And WeRide support center will monitor the vehicles in
real-time. The bus also has a brake button located inside for emergency
situations.
The concept of the pure electric Robobus
seems genuinely intriguing and is sure to be a better, eco-friendly alternative
to fossil fule based public travel. However, the absence of manual controls is
a bold step by the company and thus WeRide will have to uphold high safety
standards to gain public trust.
