The Innovation Authority of Israel, IAA on Sunday launched a two-year pilot program to test the viability of using autonomous public buses on public roads.
According to the IAA, four companies, including Egged, Israel's largest bus company, were chosen by the authority to start running self-driving buses on public roads in partnership with the Transportation Ministry and Ayalon Highways.
The state is providing half of the 61 million shekels ($17 million) required for the pilot which will be done in two stages.
A report by the Jewish News Syndicate, JNS said that the first phase will involve the groups evaluating the technology's potential from a business, legal, and safety perspective as well as in closed and operational areas.
They will run autonomous bus lines on public roads in the second stage, with a range that will increase throughout the pilot.
The four groups of companies taking part in the pilot program are from Israel, the United States, France, Turkey, and Norway.
In a statement, Israel's National Public Transport Authority director, Ran Shadmi said, they were pleased to be among the first in the world to incorporate autonomous vehicle technology into public transport and were convinced that the initiative would improve both service and passenger experience on public transport.
"We chose the four most promising proposals, and are pleased to be among the first in the world to bring autonomous vehicle technology and public transport together. There is still a long way to go but we have no doubt that this initiative has the potential to improve the service and the passenger experience on public transport,” Shadmi said.
According to IAA chairman Ami Appelbaum, “In the emerging era of software-driven mobility, Israel has a leading position in the field of smart and autonomous mobility.”
He stated that the number of Israeli startups in the sector had increased from 400 in 2016 to more than 600 in 2020, with autonomous vehicle firms experiencing the greatest growth and an average annual rise of 26% over this time.
The industry is generating "significant" corporate interest, with the companies raising about $1 billion in 2021, Appelbaum said.
He further said that "Israel was creating an “advanced regulatory infrastructure” for the operation of autonomous vehicles. This, together with the activities of the four groups participating in the pilot program, “will eventually turn Israel into a world leader in autonomous public transport pilots, enabling Israeli companies to become global leaders in this sector,” he concluded.
Science and Technology
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