MONTREAL -- A driverless shuttle bus is coming to Montreal.
The City of Montreal announced a pilot project this week for autonomous shuttles that will operate in the Saint-Hubert Plaza area in the Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie borough.
The city said in a news release that it hopes to gauge how the autonomous shuttles will fit in with other means of transportation and how well the citizens of the area will appreciate them.
Two Keolis electric minibuses will run a 30-minute loop along Saint-Hubert and Saint-Andre streets at a maximum speed of 20 KM/H while making seven stops.
A trained operator will be on board at all times.
Keolis has headquarters in Paris, France and has deployed autonomous shuttles at airports, hospitals, urban zones, university campuses, and amusement parks around the globe.
The pilot project will run from Oct. to Dec., and the second phase will go from May to July 2022.
The shuttle's maximum capacity is 15, but during the COVID-19 health crisis, just five will be allowed to jump on free of charge.
"This new, comfortable and environmentally friendly mode of transportation will serve the neighborhood while enhancing the experience of active and public transportation users," said executive committee member Eric Caldwell, who adds that the shuttles are part of the city's 2020-2030 climate plan.
The shuttle's maximum capacity of 15 will have to wait as health restrictions mean only five riders will be able to get on the new driverless bus in Montreal free of charge. SOURCE: City of Montreal
The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing provided a $5 million grant in 2018 over five years for the project's deployment.
The city put a price tag of approximately $1,140,000 for the project.
"This pilot project is consistent with our vision of the Montreal of tomorrow, which calls for the city to remain at the forefront of clean technologies and electrification innovations," said the city's urban planning and electrification point person Sophie Mazerolle.
