The future might just be closer then we think! And … good old Perth will be in a league with the big boys of Paris and Vegas to offer exclusive, on demand rides in driverless cars.
RAC have been trialling a world-first electronic shuttle running along the South Perth foreshore for the past few years, to dip our toe in the water. The trial has been in place to see how viable the technology is, and and will work towards solving some of Australia’s transport issues.
Vehicle technology is advancing way more rapidly than anticipated and may be integrated onto our roads as a standard means to get around, in a mere few years. This technology is obviously cool, but think about the benefits to traffic management, safety (think, less accidents!) and the environment, not to mention increasing mobility and independence for those who don’t have a car or can’t drive, it deserves a big tick from us!
As far as the on-demand trial goes, we’ll soon be able to order an “AUTONOM” driverless car “Uber style” in certain areas of Perth. During the testing period, assessments will be made on how the passengers interact with the car, how they feel when they are on open roads and how they use it in terms of the type of journey it’s used for. The trial will also demonstrate what we need to do to prepare for its eventual integration onto our roads.
Some of the IQPC team went down to South Perth to see what all the fuss was about recently and reckons it’s well worth checking out! Want to get on board the driverless car yourself? The journey begins at the RAC Intellibus Hub on South Perth Esplanade and travels towards the Old Mill on a 3.5km return journey.
As far as booking an AUTONOM, we’ll keep you posted on the launch for that!
Way to go Perth, for playing a huge part in shaping how the future of automated cars looks!
