Watch: Driverless Bus to Drive Helsinki Route This Fall

Helsinki, Finland, plans to launch a bus line operated with one self-driving bus. The service will begin operating the fall of 2017.

Introducing the Helsinki RoboBusLine represents a shift from an experimental phase to regular, scheduled public transit service with self-driving buses. Two driverless minibuses have been tested in real traffic conditions in Helsinki and other Finnish cities since summer 2016. These test runs will continue in Helsinki in summer 2017.

Sohjoa self-driving bus in Helsinki in 2016. Credit: Matias Lehmusjärvi/MetropoliaThe Sohjoa project launched two EasyMile EZ10 electric minibuses in Helsinki's Hernesaari waterfront district in mid-August 2016 to carry passengers on a straight quarter-mile course on a public street. With an operator on board in case of an emergency, the buses traveled at 11 km per hour (7 mph), learning the route and accruing knowledge about autonomous bus operation.

Sohjoa is an EU-financed joint project by the six largest cities of Finland, Finnish universities, and transportation authorities to prepare for new public transit services and autonomous vehicles.

After the Helsinki debut, Sohjoa self-driving bus trials have continued in the Finnish cities of Espoo and Tampere, to resume in Helsinki for July - August 2017, when the buses will shuttle passengers in Helsinki's Mustikkamaa recreational island to Helsinki Zoo.

The Helsinki RoboBusLine project moves forward from Sohjoa's short-term experiments toward established use with a three-year project.

The road vehicle for RoboBusLine will be an electric minibus currently being acquired through a competitive bid process. The route, the launch date, and the schedule will be announced later.

One of the factors that make Finland a forerunner in self-driving vehicle operation is Finnish law, which does not state that a vehicle has to have a driver.

Self-driving buses could offer a solution to the last mile of public transit in Helsinki -- taking riders from a regular public transit stop to their homes. Automated, remote-controlled bus service could markedly reduce the costs of the last-mile service and improve access to public transit. The ultimate goal is to increase public transit use and so to reduce cars and needs to drive in the city.

Helsinki RoboBusLine is one component of Helsinki's contribution to the EU-financed mySMARTLife program, in which European cities develop smart, energy-efficient mobility and lifestyles. The mySMARTLife program goal is to reduce energy consumption in cities by 10-15%.