Keolis Downer says the "overly cautious" behaviour of a driverless bus during its Newcastle trial will become less of a problem as the technology improves.
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The company said the small electric bus had carried "over 680" passengers during the test from July to October along Wharf Road.
Keolis Downer operated the trial under a $571,000 contract with City of Newcastle, which used part of a $5 million federal government grant to pay for the project.
The company said in a media statement that it would like to run more trials at the University of Newcastle and John Hunter Hospital to link with existing public transport.
The driverless bus drew criticism from some motorists because it travelled at only 20 kilometres an hour and often held up traffic at roundabouts, where its computer behaved more timidly than a human driver.
It also stopped unexpectedly at times due to "false positive detections".
Keolis Downer's head of new mobilities, Sue Wiblin, said the company had learned valuable lessons about the vehicle.
"As these trials continue and the technology improves, we expect these overly cautious behaviours to be phased out," she said.
"In time, vehicles will be able to sense and respond to their environment in a way that is both safe and consistent with other road users."
The trial was the first time a driverless vehicle, albeit one with an on-board chaperone, had operated in traffic in Newcastle.
COVID-19 restrictions limited the bus's passenger capacity to three people.
The vehicle, made by French firm NAVYA, uses 360-degree cameras and a range of sensors to avoid cars, people and objects.
Ms Wiblin described the trial as a success and said the bus had operated safely, despite sometimes holding up traffic.
"Trials like the one we did in Newcastle are key for all parties to collectively learn about the technology, governance and customer experience involved in providing autonomous public transport," she said.
"We are already starting to see higher speeds planned for future trials.
"The information collected can be used by road authorities in the design of future roadways. Simple things like angles within the built environment and positioning of roadway assets can improve the way our vehicles sense their environment."
She said the company was "always exploring opportunities to roll out future trials" in Newcastle.
"We see future trials linking to existing public transport to provide that first- and last-mile connection at key hubs such as the university and John Hunter Hospital."
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