The Northern Territory Government announced late last year that a glimpse into the potential future of transport will be commencing in Darwin.

Members of the public are invited to experience this first hand starting today. Running three trips an hour, the EasyMile EZ10 autonomous vehicle will operate twice daily from Indo Pacific Marine to Stokes Hill Wharf.

The hours of operation are:

• 11.30 am to 1.30 pm

• 4 pm to 8pm

This location has been chosen where demand exists for a transport solution to help ferry visitors between locations for dining, retail, recreation and business.

Known as the ‘Driverless Bus’ this fully electric vehicle can also accommodate people with reduced mobility including wheelchairs and prams.

Once only thought of in the imaginations of movie producers, this cutting edge technology is real and provides a potential future transport solution.

The Territory government joins Singapore, Dubai/UAE, France, Netherlands, California and Japan to actively develop and assess autonomous transport solutions.

This is an opportunity to learn more about automated vehicles and see first-hand how they can be utilised to provide a transport solution, as well as consider the potential for this technology.

Get on board today! It is free to ride the Driverless Bus but you must book online – go to waterfront.nt.gov.au to book your ticket.

You can book online right up until you board the bus – but there may be strong demand, so get in early and book in advance to secure your desired timeslot.

The vehicle creates zero carbon emissions when operating and can operate between 8 and 12 hours before it requires recharging.

To ensure the safety of passengers a fully trained operator will be on board the vehicle during the trial to monitor conditions and the vehicle will not exceed 20kmph during the trial.

The Government wants feedback from passengers about their experience riding the bus. All passengers who ride the bus will be asked to complete a survey to help provide information to assist in assessing the success and outcomes of the trial. This will help inform future decisions about how the technology might be considered and used.

Those who complete the survey will have the opportunity to win a prize at the Darwin Waterfront Precinct.

The survey can be filled out at waterfront.nt.gov.au

Darwin Waterfront Media contact: Alana Madden 0417 169 553