Switzerland’s first autonomous bus is coming to Arbon this autumn

The first autonomous bus in Switzerland is set to start operating in Arbon, Thurgau, this autumn. The vehicle has been developed by the Turkish public transport company Karson.

Switzerland’s first autonomous bus to launch in Arbon

A new autonomous bus service is due to start operating this coming autumn in the town of Arbon, Thurgau, not far from the city of St Gallen. It will be the first “remote-controlled, timetable-based bus in Switzerland and Europe”, reports SRF.

Starting at the train station, the planned bus route will connect Arbon with the residential area of Saurer Werk 2 in a two-kilometre route. The vehicle will stop at nine bus stops, covering areas that currently don’t have regular public transport. The bus will have capacity for up to 20 passengers and will run at a top speed of 30 kilometres per hour.

Swiss bus to eventually run fully autonomously 

Preparations for the bus route are still underway, including test rides without passengers and changes to bus stops and signs to make them more accessible. An official launch is due this coming autumn.

The autonomous vehicle will initially have a driver who will be “ready to intervene if necessary”, reports SRF. Eventually, the bus will run fully autonomously without a driver, although the vehicle will be monitored and can be controlled remotely if needed - known as teleoperation.

The bus was developed by Karson, a Turkish company that manufactures public transport, and ADASTEC, a software company. The new autonomous bus route forms part of the Self-Controlled City Liner (SSCL) project led by the Technical Association of Arbon.