TMB's first driverless bus begins operating in Barcelona
It will operate, on a trial basis, until November 14th between Plaça Dante and the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.
BarcelonaMontjuïc, the quintessential circuit for novice drivers in Barcelona, is also, as of this Tuesday, the testing ground for TMB's first autonomous bus. At first glance, this blue vehicle, with a capacity for 52 passengers, looks like a normal bus. But the difference is that it drives itself. There is a driver inside, but only as a precaution: they don't keep their hands on the wheel and should only intervene in case of emergency. Equipped with countless sensors, radars, and different types of cameras to have a 360-degree view of everything happening around it at all times, the vehicle detects traffic lights, lanes, and other vehicles and is prepared to brake suddenly in case of any incident. From this Tuesday until November 14, anyone who wants to can experience it firsthand by completing the six-stop circular route that runs from Plaça Dante – next to the Funicular station – to the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.
The experience is similar to traveling with someone who just got their license: caution guides the driver gradually, and braking is frequent. The need to guarantee passenger safety makes the vehicle very vigilant about any foreign object it might encounter on the road, braking just in case. Karsan is the company that manufactured this prototype, and its CEO, Ángel Estrella, explains that even a pigeon flying in front of the bus can force it to brake, as it is programmed to stop, for example, when a ball crosses its path, which could confuse it.
Speaking to reporters, Estrella defends the advantages of this type of vehicle, emphasizing that they have a superior reaction time compared to a human driver. He cites a recent case in Norway, where a person attempted suicide by throwing themselves in front of a bus, which braked in time. "When a driver looks in the rearview mirror, they inevitably lose sight of part of the road for a few seconds, but these vehicles constantly monitor their surroundings," he explained.
In operation in several countries
Although they are still in the early stages of testing in Spain, Estrella explained that these types of vehicles are already operating normally in various European countries. In addition to Norway, there are also autonomous bus lines in Sweden, Switzerland, Finland, Germany, and the Netherlands. The CEO of Karsan predicted that, just as the electric vehicle fleet seemed very distant some time ago and is now a reality, the same will happen with autonomous vehicles. Estrella pointed out that, since there is no European-wide authorization for these types of vehicles, it is necessary to consult with the traffic authority of each country before developing autonomous bus lines. In the case of Spain, he explained that they have been in talks with the Directorate General of Traffic for some time. The director of the TMB bus network, Jacobo Kalitovics, welcomed the fact that the technology is becoming robust enough to begin developing trials like the one taking place these days in Montjuïc with buses of a similar capacity to the vehicles in the TMB fleet.