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Cities around the world are tapping into self-driving technologies with the hope of solving what urban planners call the "last mile" problem, according to a survey released by Bloomberg Philanthropies on Monday.
As the pace of autonomous vehicle innovation picks up, cities around the world have become the proving grounds. The survey covered 38 cities all around the world, each representing the latest in urban governing, and they are hosting tests as part of developing their own autonomous vehicle (AV) pilots.
The most common anticipated role for AVs is bridging existing gaps at the edges of transit systems, like transporting people from railway stations to office buildings, the survey showed.
The survey said the most common anticipated role for AVs is bridging existing gaps at the edges of transit systems.
Almost every city indicated interest in using AVs for last-mile solutions, and for a majority of cities, it was the highest priority. Other priorities include using AVs for taxis, mass transit and freight.
The survey also showed cities had big barriers to overcome, citing lack of funds and no capacity to manage pilots as top two barriers to cities' AV efforts.
US House lawmakers passed a bill in September to speed up the introduction of self-driving vehicles by removing regulatory barriers.
US auto giants GM and Ford both said they would begin to sell self-driving cars by 2021.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
