John Patrick Magno Ranara, writing for PhilSTAR Life;
Want to experience what it’s like to ride a bus that drives on its own?
You can now do so as the Philippines’ first autonomous bus has now been launched around New Clark City, Clark Freeport Zone, and Clark International Airport.
The transport vehicles came from the partnership of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) with Japan-based mobility firm Zenmov, Inc. and the MC Metro Transport Operation, Inc.
In their announcement, the BCDA explained that the bus service utilizes a transportation cloud system called Smart Mobility Operation Cloud (SMOC), which helps maximize operational availability while keeping the number of vehicles at a minimum.
Here’s the full text of BCDA’s announcement;
The Primary Rapid Transit will be a “last mile” service that will run on select routes in New Clark City, Clark Freeport Zone, and Clark Civil Aviation Complex.
The self-driving buses are expected to help residents within Clark get to places more conveniently, reduce traffic congestion, and lessen the amount of carbon in the environment.
I assume that they will start with small “select routes” then gradually expand until it can cover the entire Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone (CFEZ).
