Autonomous vehicles.

[Jocko]

That was Stagecoach running its first driverless test, carrying passengers, over the Forth Road Bridge today. The test was successful and they plan to have the driverless bus service running in the spring.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-64350096

[Kremmen]

Very brave passengers, not for me.

[BIGFELLAH]

Very brave passengers, not for me.

Not me either especially in an electric vehicle could be a warm journey!,

[ColinB]

I really don't see the point of this, except as part of a development trial (or a gimmick). The article says:
“When fully operational, each bus will have a driver monitoring the system alongside a bus captain who will help passengers with boarding and buying tickets.”
So it's not really fully autonomous, and they’ve replaced a driver-operated bus with something that requires two staff on board? Difficult to see any economic benefit in that once the government’s financial support runs out. And why do passengers require an additional person to help with boarding and buying tickets, on every other bus in the country that's the driver.
One of the articles linked from the main article suggests that the major benefit is expected to be improved safety ... so do Scottish buses have such a bad safety record that this is a better option rather than, say, improving driver training?

[ColinS]

The best system that I have travelled on is the Las Vegas Monorail.  It opened in 1995 and as far as I know has had no fatalities. https://www.lvmonorail.com/

[Kremmen]

The London DLR is also driverless. Just has an attendant to close the doors when safe.

The London Underground Victoria Line is also driverless in as much as it's computer controlled, and again, the 'driver' just opens and closes the doors.

[Jocko]

When the full trial is operational. Obviously, at some point in the future, the plan is to do away with the driver and just have a conductor or conductress doing the tickets.

[ColinB]

When the full trial is operational. Obviously, at some point in the future, the plan is to do away with the driver and just have a conductor or conductress doing the tickets.

This particular run seems to have been a trial (or pilot, or test). But the story clearly says that when it is "fully operational" (ie the trial phase is complete) it will be two-person operated. Removing the driver completely requires a change in the law which might happen eventually, but probably not before the subsidy funding for this particular operation runs out.

[Jocko]

When it goes into operation in the spring that is still trialling the system. As you say, until the law is changed it will not be fully operational and I cannot see that in my lifetime. I drove for Stagecoach out of the depot involved and speaking to the people involved, the capacity of 10,000 per week is ridiculed. Yes, they could take that but it is a route with little demand but a simple road system.