Page 28 - Tropic Magazine Issue 10

Industry
Transport
2030

The year we can expect to see
fully autonomous vehicles
on Australian roads
ERTRAC Automated Driving Roadmap, 21 July 2015

Bus tech trial

Could Cairns soon welcome its
first autonomous vehicle
shuttling us around the CBD?
Words Gail Sedorkin

A self-driving shuttle bus could be part of consider using self-driving technology as the need for parking.”
the future transport mix in Cairns part of its transport mix in the future, Transdev joined forces with French
following a successful trial along the Transdev General Manager Group manufacturer EasyMile to showcase their
Esplanade. More than 300 people jumped Corporate Affairs and Communications EZ10 driverless bus in several cities across
on-board EasyMile’s EZ10 driverless bus Kathy Lazanas told Tropic. “We're still Australia and New Zealand, and the
during the five-day trial in December, talking to a number of interested parties vehicles are already in use along Darwin’s
with 95 per cent of those surveyed rating in the Cairns region, and we're hoping to waterfront and in Canberra.
their experience as ‘excellent’ and ‘above make some exciting announcements in “There’s certainly an opportunity to use
average’. The $320,000 vehicle, which has 2018,” Ms Lazanas said. “We’re really self-driving shuttles in tourist hot spots
a top speed of about 45km/h, has the happy with the welcome and support we on an ongoing basis,” Ms Lazanas said.
capacity to carry up to 12 people at once. received from locals and tourists in Far “They offer a transport solution that’s
It uses state-of-the-art GPS, radar and North Queensland. When asked why they attractive and ready to be adopted in a
sensor technology to navigate paths, were in favour of the technology, people range of contexts in our cities today;
roads and traffic. mostly pointed to environmental reasons within campuses, communities, shopping
Ninety per cent of the respondents also like reducing pollution, improving centres, and for first mile/last mile travel
said Cairns Regional Council should accessibility of transport, and reducing to connect people to transport hubs.”

Snail’s pace “Cairns is crying out for Years ago, people State Government rejects “Council has engaged a

A billion-dollar light improved public transport laughed at Bob Manning Council’s application for consultant to prepare a
rail network for Cairns and the addition of light when he said he wanted a $250,000 grant to discussion paper
to turn Cairns Airport
undertake a feasibility
addressing all future
rail would greatly
was Mayor Bob enhance the use of public from a backwater landing study into light rail for public transport options
Manning’s marquee transport and would strip into an International Cairns. for the Cairns region.
campaign promise provide real relief for Airport - well just look at “Governments like to be This is due to be
during the 2016 local what is increasingly the airport today. He did associated with success. presented to Council in in
government election. becoming a congested it. And he’ll do it again Every government wants the next few months.”
Two years ago, Cr road network. with Light Rail. to take credit. We just Council spokesperson
Manning said the “There are 118 other Unity Facebook page need to get out there and
network would be built cities across the world continue to be
with similar, or smaller
progressive and
in stages, with the last populations who have successful. Governments
sections “finished introduced such a service will jump on board.”
within eight years”. with great success - Bob Manning
With only six years left Cairns can do the same.”
before that 2024 Bob Manning
deadline arrives, Tropic
tracks the progress of
this game-changing
infrastructure promise. 2024
FEB ‘16 MAR ‘16 AUG ‘17 JAN ‘18