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Singapore To Use Driverless Buses 'From 2022' (bbc.com)
Singapore plans to introduce driverless buses on its public roads by 2022. From a report: The government says they will be piloted in three new neighbourhoods which will have less-crowded roads designed to accommodate the buses. The buses will be used to help residents travel in their communities, and to nearby train and bus stations. Densely-populated Singapore hopes driverless technology will help the country manage its land constraints and manpower shortages. "The autonomous vehicles will greatly enhance the accessibility and connectivity of our public transport system, particularly for the elderly, families with young children and the less mobile," the Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said. The autonomous buses are expected to complement existing manned bus services, and will initially operate during off-peak hours. Additionally, the government plans to let commuters hail on-demand shuttles using their mobile phones.
Driverless vehicles could follow specific routes and get power from wires -- they could have almost no battery capacity. Minimizing the meet for batteries could be environmentally great. Basically trams without the rails.
This is stupid. Autonomous vehicles are nowhere close to being ready. Many engineers believe that driverless cars just aren't possible, yet they're being ignored. Cab anyone justify that?
Wow! That's amazing. But how did they get driverless buses from 2022?
Singapore has the third highest population density in the world. If a few people get run over and killed that's not a bug that's a feature.
Years ago, my brother was involved the design of a light rail program here in Toronto (the "Kenney Line" to Scarborough Town Centre) with the idea that they would run without any transit employees on board.
The idea got nixed when somebody asked what happens if a woman gets assaulted?
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What happens on the subway if a woman (or man) gets assaulted now? The driver isn't going to stop the train and go all the way back to stop them. Last time I was in Toronto, I don't remember seeing security guards on the cars. Don't they just have emergency buttons for this very purpose? The train could just stop at the next station until the problem is resolved. Most likely the other passengers would put a stop to any assault, and if they didn't, I don't see how the driver (who might also be a person of small stature) might make any difference in the situation.
Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
IIRC correctly, a transit employee on the train was sufficient to deter and attack and at least mitigate one if it happens by moving to the car where the problem is happening.
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In NYC, they pay the "conductor" (the guy who closes the doors to separate you from your family) more than a rookie cop. Turn on the automatic doors and put a rookie cop on each train. Problem solved.
W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
The idea got nixed when somebody asked what happens if a woman gets assaulted?
Emergency buttons and a live 911 camera feed? With the ability to speak over the intercom to let them know the police is watching them right now and officers are on the way to the next stop. If they're smart they might release the fire alarm so the emergency exists must open, but still. Of course it wouldn't help if the one being assaulted is alone and nobody is there to push the button, but how is that different from a woman assaulted anywhere else? It's not like we can have stewards watching all women at all times in case something bad happens.
Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
Encountered that situation a couple months back in NYC. An off duty detective took out his gun and beat a homeless man with it (with the barrel pointed at me 2' away, yay nypd) for yelling at him. The train was stopped and the conductor came to investigate, as they always do. The situation had ended, and they had both walked away, and it was made very clear to us that if anyone wanted the police called, the train would not be moving. We all shut up and moved on, and it went unreported. One other person got it on camera, but like me probably never reported it for fear of retaliation by the police, which is known to happen, and not worth it if no one is dead. Less intense assaults get ignored entirely, because no one wants the train held for even 5 minutes while the conductor walks back. Well not ignored, just someone calls 911 or finds a cop on a platform later, instead of hitting the emergency button and telling the conductor, who tells the operator to stop the train. It does make a difference, however, because the train personnel can radio for police directly, and stop the train so police can actually respond (they won't even try to track down a moving train), in minutes... last time I called 911 in the middle of midtown Manhattan on a subway platform, it took police 15 minutes and EMS 20, subway radio call I've never seen longer than 3-4 minutes.