Autonomous buses will hit the streets of Switzerland next Spring

Recently, we told you about autonomous taxis that would debut in China pretty soon. In keeping with the driverless technology trend, Switzerland will also launch a series of driverless vehicles — autonomous shuttles that will escort people around urban areas.

The project is the result of an EPFL spin-off called BestMile and the subsidiary of the Swiss Post will allow for the operation of smart vehicles that will carry up to nine passengers and run on public roads.

The ultimate goal of the project is to offer transportation to everyone, especially those in remote areas.

The shuttles will run as a result of a two year project supported by the Commission for Technology and Innovation (CTI) in which new software was developed that will make driverless vehicle ready for any scenarios they encounter, making it possible to offer flexible and reliable on-demand transportation services.

The buses will be able to manage operations in real-time beginning in Spring 2016 when the fleet will hit the roads of Sion, Valais in a two-year testing phase.