Turkish company Karsan has launched the driverless electric bus e-ATAK Passenger Transport at the Efteling amusement park in the Netherlands. The vehicle will follow fixed routes connecting the main areas of the park, becoming the first self-driving bus approved for use on public roads in this part of the Netherlands.
Image source: Karsan, interestingengineering.com
This 3.7-mile (6-kilometer) route runs between the main Efteling entrance, the Wonder Hotel area, and several stops along the way. Report Interesting project. Park visitors can use the bus for free after purchasing a ticket, and the bus itself is equipped to transport wheelchair passengers. The route will be operated jointly by Karsan and Arriva, one of the largest companies in Europe’s passenger transport sector.
According to the SAE classification, the e-ATAK electric minibus is Level 4 autonomous, so it is capable of moving without direct human control, but only under predetermined conditions. In this case, buses will follow specific routes and operate taking into account established restrictions on road conditions, weather and speed. At the same time, it has not yet been specified whether the operator will be in the cab during the trip or whether the car’s movement will be controlled remotely.
The bus itself is provided by Karsan, and the autonomous driving system is handled by another Turkish company, Adastec. For Karsan, the project is the second autonomous transportation project in the Netherlands, following the e-ATAK work at Rotterdam-The Hague Airport. Karsan CEO Utku Ayyarkın said the new route also strengthens the company’s position in the European market and will become an important project for the company to use autonomous vehicles in real situations.
The service was officially launched on August 10 and regular shipping began on August 12. Efteling’s choice of such a project is particularly noteworthy because the park receives millions of visitors each year, so the self-driving buses will be able to operate with constant ridership. Karsan sees the approval from the Dutch authorities as confirmation of the technology’s maturity, and looks forward to continuing to expand its self-driving transportation programs in Europe and other countries.
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