Autobus - Self-driving buses in Norway

The main purpose of the project "Autobus" has been to study how ordinary road users and passengers react to the introduction of self-driving buses in the traffic system in Norway and how the interaction takes place. Several players are testing self-driving buses in Norway. In the Autobus project, we have investigated the interaction between self-driving buses and ordinary road users in three different test areas: Forus, Kongsberg and in Oslo. To study how self-driving buses interact with other road users in real traffic, we have conducted video recordings and interviews in the field. Based on theories of interaction and behavioral adaptation as well as international experiences with self-driving buses, we have developed hypotheses about how people (road users and passengers) will interact with self-driving buses in real traffic; how such adaptations can develop over time. Since the self-driving buses run slowly and behave defensively and carefully in all interactions, we have assumed that as other road users gain experience, over time they will become more offensive and to a lesser extent give way to the self-driving buses. We have conducted registrations and interviews at Forus, at Kongsberg, and at Akershusstranda in Oslo. The results show that many are positive about experiments with self-driving buses. But since the buses run so slowly (max. 15 km / h), many believe that they currently to a limited extent serve as a good transport alternative. The low speed has also contributed to queues and overtaking in all three places. When other road users pass close to the bus, they stop abruptly, which has been a challenge in terms of operation and comfort, and which can be a risk factor. Interviews with cyclists in Oslo show that they give way to the bus to a lesser extent as they gain experience with it, while we see no signs of changes over time in the responses to pedestrians in Kongsberg. The video recordings also do not show clear changes in the interactions over time. An important finding is that the self-driving buses are less defensive than expected, and they do not give way in many situations where they have a duty to give way according to the rules. This may be an important reason why the hypotheses about more offensive behavior among other road users over time do not receive much support. The results have been presented at a number of seminars and conferences both nationally and internationally. Three articles documenting the results will be submitted to renowned international journals in 2021. A comprehensive literature study of pilots with self-propelled buses in Europe published as a chapter in the book "Policy Implications of Autonomous Vehicles, Volume 5" https: //www.elsevier .com / books / policy-implications-of-autonomous-vehicles / milakis / 978-0-12-820191-6

1. De selvkjørende minibussene kjører i lav fart, og det fører ofte til køer og til forbikjøringer. Dette fører til risiko for kollisjoner med møtende trafikk og risiko for påkjørsler av fotgjengere eller andre som krysser foran minibussene. Forbikjøringene fører ofte til at bussene bråstopper fordi de som kjører forbi legger seg inn for nær bussen. Dette er ubehagelig og potensielt farlig for passasjerene. 2. Samhandlingen mellom selvkjørende minibusser og andre skjer uten mange konflikter. Andre trafikanter viker som regel for de selvkjørende bussene. 3. Syklister i Oslo sier at de viker i mindre grad for de selvkjørende bussene etter hvert som de får erfaring. Det er ingen slik tendens blant fotgjengere på Kongsberg. 4. De selvkjørende bussene viker ikke alltid for kryssende trafikk selv om de har vikeplikt. 5. De selvkjørende bussene bråstopper unødvendig i en del situasjoner, og videoregistreringene har bidratt til å forbedre driften av de selvkjørende bussene.

Automated vehicles (AVs) are gradually entering our roadway system and self-driving busses are under development for trials and implementation in ordinary traffic, also in Norway. The decision-making and behaviour of ordinary car drivers, pedestrians and cyclists in interaction with AVs have so far received little attention in the research community, and many researchers now call for such knowledge. The Autobus project will provide such knowledge by use of different methodologies to study real-life tests of introducing self-driving buses in Kongsberg, Forus (Stavanger) and the Oslo region. Based on behavioural models from the social sciences we will develop hypotheses about how ordinary road users will respond and interact with self-drivig busses and how behaviours and interactions might change over time. By use of video recordings and analysis we will document the actual behaviours and interactions in the streets at different phases after introducing self-driving busses. Furthermore, we will conduct surveys to road users and passengers to map their views on trust, expectations and attractiveness of self-driving busses. The results will be analysed and disseminated through the project web site, social media, conferences, journal articles and a research report.