The Rail, Tram and Bus Union is slamming the City of Newcastle's Driverless Shuttle Bus Project, with the bus welcoming aboard passengers for the first time as part of a three month trial on Monday.
The Union says the project doesn’t create substantial jobs or contribute to
Newcastle’s high-capacity transport mix.
Daniel Jaggers, President of the RTBU NSW Tram
and Bus Division, says savage cuts to Newcastle’s bus network, meaning many are forced to catch three different buses to get by every day, should have
been considered when funding the driverless project.
The trial is being funded through a $5 million grant awarded to the City under the Federal Government’s Smart Cities and Suburbs Program.
“For years the Newcastle community has
expressed deep anger and hopelessness about the hatchet job that Keolis Downer
has made of their bus network. There are dozens of buses currently idling in the
Depot because Keolis Downer won’t pay to put them on the road", said Mr Jaggers.
“But I’m sure the residents on Newcastle’s
outskirts who are now forced to take three buses to get to work every day will
be comforted by the fact they can now take a leisure ride in a shuttle going
less than 20km an hour.”
The union also raised concerns about safety.
“It’s absurd to suggest these buses are safe,” said Mr Jaggers.
The union also raised concerns about safety.
“It’s absurd to suggest these buses are safe,” said Mr Jaggers.
“Drivers balance speed with safety. Current technology can’t
do that, as evidenced by these snail-paced trials."
However the Council says running at a speed of just 20km/hr, the vehicle uses an array of sophisticated technology, including 360-degree cameras and input sensors, to avoid cars and objects.
"The shuttle completed rigorous safety planning and testing before approval was given to operate on public roads," City of Newcastle said within a statement.
“Passengers can be assured of the safety of the vehicle and the training of our onboard chaperones who have additional qualifications to their skills as bus drivers," Keolis Downer Hunter General Manager Mark Dunlop said.
“We are very interested in the public perception around this technology and will be asking for further feedback after receiving a large number of responses to a survey last November when the shuttle was on show during the Newcastle 500."
However, the Union says they cannot see the system providing much benefit to Newcastle residents.
“Now more than ever is the time for governments to listen to the community about what they need. Only substantial, strategic public investment can see us to the other side of the economic crisis of Covid-19," Mr Jagger said.
"These tiny, shiny, expensive toys – which are so small they’d be lucky to fit 11 people - don’t make the cut.”
Newcastle Councillor Declan Clausen said, “This is another milestone in Newcastle’s smart city journey as we trial the future of automated transport as part of the city’s ‘living lab’ experiment."
"With the help of Federal Government funding, the project will assess driverless vehicles in mixed traffic conditions and the role they can play in multimodal transport systems."
However the Council says running at a speed of just 20km/hr, the vehicle uses an array of sophisticated technology, including 360-degree cameras and input sensors, to avoid cars and objects.
"The shuttle completed rigorous safety planning and testing before approval was given to operate on public roads," City of Newcastle said within a statement.
“Passengers can be assured of the safety of the vehicle and the training of our onboard chaperones who have additional qualifications to their skills as bus drivers," Keolis Downer Hunter General Manager Mark Dunlop said.
“We are very interested in the public perception around this technology and will be asking for further feedback after receiving a large number of responses to a survey last November when the shuttle was on show during the Newcastle 500."
However, the Union says they cannot see the system providing much benefit to Newcastle residents.
“Now more than ever is the time for governments to listen to the community about what they need. Only substantial, strategic public investment can see us to the other side of the economic crisis of Covid-19," Mr Jagger said.
"These tiny, shiny, expensive toys – which are so small they’d be lucky to fit 11 people - don’t make the cut.”
Newcastle Councillor Declan Clausen said, “This is another milestone in Newcastle’s smart city journey as we trial the future of automated transport as part of the city’s ‘living lab’ experiment."
"With the help of Federal Government funding, the project will assess driverless vehicles in mixed traffic conditions and the role they can play in multimodal transport systems."
