Frequently Asked Questions autonomous shuttle Scheemda

Transcription

1 Frequently Asked Questins autnmus shuttle Scheemda Hw d I reach the main entrance f the hspital by public transprtatin? After arriving by train at the Scheemda railway statin, take the bus (lines N. 119 r 17) t the bus stp at the Mlenstraat (at the N362). These buses run every hur. Mre up-t-date public transprtatin infrmatin and timetables is available at 9292.nl. Yu can als dial ( 0.90 per minute, with a maximum f 18.00). Frm this bus stp there are tw public transprtatin ptins t the hspital s main entrance: By ft (abut a 10-minute walk t the main entrance). Frm 6 August 2018 nwards by autnmus shuttle. Its timetabling is crdinated with that f the bus services (lines N. 119 r 17). Yu can als take the same shuttle t get frm the hspital back t the bus stp again. What is an autnmus shuttle? An autnmus shuttle is a self-driving (driverless) vehicle. In this case it is an autnmus shuttle bus prduced by the French cmpany NAVYA. It shuttles cmpletely autnmusly between the bus stp and the hspital s main entrance. This means that a driver isn t needed t perate this vehicle. Hwever, there is always a hst(ess) n bard, wh can assist passengers (de)barding the shuttle and wh als at all times can intervene r take cntrl f the vehicle in case an emergency ccurs. Why isn t there a regular bus service t the Ommelander Ziekenhuis? The regular bus shuttles between Winschten and Delfzijl. In rder t ffer these bus services, the buses have t arrive at their departure and end stps at a certain time. When they arrive t late, an extra bus with a driver has t be scheduled fr the return trip. Even during the cnstructin f the hspital, research was dne regarding the time it takes t get t and frm the hspital by a regular bus and hw many passengers were expected t use it. The results shw that regular busses are unable t make it back t the end bus stp in time. In additin, the expected number f passengers is limited. Therefre, a small eight-seater bus befits the expected demand mre. Why exactly was this vehicle chsen? Cmpared t the ther available autnmus vehicles, this ne is currently best suited fr this particular rute in Scheemda. It is equipped with different new technlgies and sensrs, which allws it t scan the envirnment. Apart frm that, this shuttle is als able t implement right-f-way rules. And finally, anther main reasn t pt fr this particular vehicle, is that it s cmpletely electric and thus much quieter than diesel r petrl pwered buses. Fr whm is the autnmus shuttle intended? The shuttle is intended fr bus travellers between the hspital s main entrance and the Mlenstraat bus stp (all visitrs, patients and emplyees f the hspital). Which rute des the autnmus shuttle take? Starting at the hspital s entrance, the shuttle fllws the cycling path t the Pastrieweg. Via the Pastrieweg it cntinues t the Zwaagsterweg. After crssing the Zwaagsterweg, it arrives at the shuttle bus stp (in frnt f the fire statin). The same rute is taken back t the hspital (as illustrated belw): The in red indicated rute is fllwed when the shuttle is transprting the passengers; the in green indicated rute is fllwed t and frm the garage.

2 What is the timetable f the autnmus shuttle? The autnmus shuttle is perative frm Mnday t Friday between 9AM and 5 PM. The service is crdinated with the existing bus cnnectins at the Mlenstraat bus stp. The shuttle service may well be extended r adjusted during the pilt perid. Fr mre infrmatin, please check this website r the infrmatin panels at the bus stps. Fr what perid f time will the shuttle be perative? The autnmus shuttle service is scheduled t start n 6 August 2018 and last at least 6 mnths. If it is a success, it may well be prlnged. Hw much des a ride in the autnmus shuttle cst? During the 6 mnth pilt perid passengers shall nt be charged fare, thus allwing free travelling during this perid f time. What happens when the pilt perid cmes t an end? That depends n the pilt results. If the pilt is a success, there are tw ptins. The first ne is t prlng the shuttle service between the bus stp and the main entrance. Anther ptin hwever is extending the shuttle s rute t the centre f Scheemda r maybe even t the Scheemda railway statin. T this end, the pilt prject shall be evaluated after 6 mnths as well as halfway the pilt perid (after 3 mnths). Hw des the autnmus shuttle wrk? The shuttle is perated by a GPS system which cmmunicates with a base statin in rder t determine its exact psitin. The envirnment and the rute are previusly prgrammed, allwing the bus t take a set rute. Six sensrs are used t detect bstacles and ther rad users as well as t determine their exact psitin. When the shuttle gets t clse t them, it starts slwing dwn, ultimately cming t a halt. The shuttle fllws a prgrammed rute, withut any diversins similar t a tram, yet guided by virtual rails. Thus, it shall never suddenly swerve. Is the shuttle cmpletely autnmus (self-driving as well as driverless)? If s, hw precisely? If nt, t what extent? Is any n-bard human assistance ffered? An n-bard shuttle hst(ess) accmpanies the passengers, ffering them assistance (de)barding as well as determining when the shuttle actually departs. Mrever, thugh the shuttle is fully autmated, the hst(ess) can at all times intervene r take cntrl f the vehicle in case an emergency ccurs. Is the autnmus shuttle safe? Yes, the shuttle is safe. In preparatin f the pilt phase, the in this prject invlved risks were carefully assessed. Subsequently all necessary risk cntrl measures were taken. Based n this research and these security measures, an exemptin was granted by the RDW (the Dutch Gvernment Rad Traffic Agency), allwing the shuttle perate n this rute. In additin, the n bard hst(ess) can at all times intervene r take cntrl f the vehicle in case an emergency ccurs. In terms f safety, the shuttle can be cnsidered t be just as safe as any ther vehicle. Hw des the autnmus shuttle interact with ther rad users fr instance cyclists? With cameras and sensrs bstacles and ther rad users are detected, after which their psitin is determined. When they appear t be at t clse a range, the shuttle immediately cmes t a halt. Des the autnmus shuttle wrk in all weather cnditins? Generally, the shuttle wrks in all weather cnditins. When weather cnditins are very bad (slick rads r heavy snwfall), it is pssible the shuttle culd be temprarily taken ff the rad. The same cnsideratin is made as fr any ther vehicle. Currently, the shuttle isn t allwed by law t perate in all weather cnditins. This has t be first apprved by the RDW (the Dutch Gvernment Rad Traffic Agency), which hwever wasn t able t grant their apprval yet, due t the simple fact that n research has been dne regarding the shuttle s behaviur during these weather cnditins. What is the autnmus shuttle s maximum speed? The shuttles reaches a maximum speed f abut 15 km/h n this rute.

3 Is there in case an emergency ccurs anyne n bard the autnmus shuttle wh can intervene? Yes, passengers are at all times accmpanied by a hst(ess), wh is trained t intervene r take cntrl f the vehicle in case an emergency ccurs. What kind f nise des the autnmus shuttle make? The nise is cmparable t that f an electric car. In additin, a tram bell rings shrtly when the shuttle departs frm the bus stp. The shuttle is als equipped with a hrn, which if needed is used by the hst(ess). Des the autnmus shuttle always have the right-f-way? The shuttle fllws a cycling path. When a cyclist gets t clse t the shuttle, it will immediately cme t a halt. Apart frm that, the shuttle abides t all nrmal traffic regulatins and is therefre als able t implement right-f-way rules. The specific traffic situatins f the rute have all been prgrammed int the shuttle s driving system. Des the autnmus shuttle pull ver, if smene wants t vertake it? N, hwever the shuttle des cme t a halt, when ther rad users cme t near. If the shuttle is vertaken with sufficient distance, bth the shuttle as well as the ther invlved rad user shall be able t cntinue their jurney nrmally. The shuttle is in fact guided by virtual tram rails. It will therefre als never suddenly swerve r change its curse. Overtaking it is nt a prblem. If needed, cyclists as well as pedestrians can use the grass cncrete strke, with which the cycling path has been widened. Des the autnmus shuttle use its directin indicatrs? Yes it des. What happens when smebdy suddenly crsses the rad? When smebdy suddenly crsses the rad and gets t clse t the shuttle, it will immediately cme t a halt. The shuttle will then make an emergency stp. One f the main reasns why a speed f 15 km/h was chsen, is because the shuttle s emergency stp capabilities were extensively tested at this speed. Due t the thus gathered knw-knw, it can be guaranteed that the shuttle will at all times and under all circumstances cme t a halt safely (including in terms f passenger safety). Des the autnmus shuttle detect animals crssing the rad? Yes it des. Wh is financing the autnmus shuttle? The Prvince f Grningen is supplying the funds fr the shuttle. The hsts and hstesses are emplyed by Arriva. Is it true that at a certain stage the shuttle service shall be tested withut n-bard hsts r hstesses? During the pilt perid f 6 mnths, passengers will always be accmpanied by a hst(ess). In the lng term, the autnmus technlgy is expected t develp, eventually allwing a hst(ess) t becme redundant. This shall take years hwever t be implemented and even then hsts may well be pted fr, fr instance t assist (de)barding. Hwever, during the cming years remte cntrl systems shall cntinue be tested in cllabratin with the 5G lab at the Zernike Campus. Still, during the next 6 mnths passengers can rest assured that they at all times will be accmpanied by a shuttle hst(ess). Is it pssible t bard the autnmus shuttle by wheel chair? Unfrtunately, this is nt an ptin. The shuttle ffers seats fr 11 passengers, f which nly 8 shall be used during this pilt. What t d if ne prefers nt t travel by autnmus shuttle? Is there anther public transprtatin ptin? Can fr instance the hspital s glf kart be used? We advise yu t use anther regular - frm f transprtatin such as the n-call bus r a taxi. Hw lng des the trip frm the bus stp t the hspital s main entrance take? A trip frm r t the hspital takes abut 5 minutes.

4 What t d when n arrival at the bus stp, there isn t a shuttle waiting/arriving? Prbably the autnmus shuttle is en rute. Mre infrmatin can be fund n the passenger infrmatin sign at the bus stp. Wn t self-driving vehicles lead t the lss f (bus) driving jbs? The cming years this isn t the case, because passengers shall be accmpanied by hsts r hstesses. Hwever, in the lng term less bus drivers may well be needed. The technlgy has t be further develped hwever, as well as the laws and regulatins regarding autnmus transprtatin. Why this rute? This rute was selected because it s the fastest cnnectin between the bus stp and the hspital s main entrance. Als, the technlgy f the vehicle des nt at present allw it t travel safely alng with ther rad users n 50 r 80 km/h rads alng with ther rad users. This rute, which mainly fllws a cycling path, allws the shuttle t travel at a safe speed f 15 km/h, while limiting interactin with ther mtrised rad users as well. After the technlgy has develped further ver the next years and higher speeds have becme ptinal, the rute shall pssibly be adjusted. Frm the bus stp there were tw ptinal rutes: via the prvincial rad r via the cycling path. The latter prved in several respects t be the best ptin. Particularly safety was a main factr here. Will there be mre autnmus shuttles at ther lcatins? A pilt regarding schl transprt is scheduled t start n 1 January 2020 in the small twn f Dkkum. Additinally, the Prvince f Grningen is planning pilts in the Municipality f Hgeland (Eemshaven r elsewhere), in the small twn f Lppersum (in cllabratin with the 5G lab) as well as in the small twn f Hgezand-Sappemeer (an alternative rute between the Hgezand- Sappemeer railway statin and East Sappemeer shall be assessed, after the East Sappemeer railway statin is clsed). The Prvince f Drenthe is als lking int ways t adpt autnmus transprtatin. Was it a gd idea t integrate a cycling path in this pilt seen in the light f the recent Appelscha pilt? The Appelscha pilt resulted in a lt f useful infrmatin regarding the use f cycling paths in this cntext. Ultimately, pilt was nly put n hld fr a shrt perid f time, after which it was successfully cntinued. The main difference with the Appelscha pilt, is that due t the prblems caused by the width f the cycling paths (2.5 meter) in Scheemda the cycling path was widened t 4 metres, thus creating mre space fr cyclists. Fr the same reasn, the shuttle has been prgrammed as far as pssible t the side f the rad. Anther factr in this cntext, is the fact that cyclists and pedestrians in this area are already used t a small vehicle n this rute: a small glf kart which shuttles t and frm the hspital. Thus cyclists respnd well t the new situatin, allwing them t pass the shuttle withut any difficulty what s ever. This is als pssible via the grass cncrete strke next t the cycling path. Traffic signs alng the rute shall als remind ther rad users f the altered traffic situatin. Obviusly as is in the very nature f a pilt unexpected things can always happen. That s why this pilt is cnducted in the first place, allwing t further develp this technlgy. Tgether with the RDW (the Dutch Gvernment Rad Traffic Agency) and the SWOV a thrugh risk analysis was made, allwing the safety aspect t be assessed in the best pssible way. What makes this pilt s unique? This pilt is the first f its kind in the Netherlands: it s the first time that a pilt is cnducted with an autnmus vehicle with passengers n the public rad, while integrating it int the existing public transprtatin system and thus allwing it t interact with ther rad users. In the Prvince f Zuid- Hlland autnmus public transprtatin services are being ffered fr quite a while nw. Hwever, these shuttles use separate bus lanes and d nt interact with ther rad users. What happens if the pilt is unsuccessful and the autnmus shuttle disappears frm the streets? Hw d I then reach the hspital? In case the autnmus shuttle services are terminated, the hspital shall prvide ther means f transprtatin between the bus stp and its main entrance.

5 Why is the Prvince f Grningen testing autnmus transprtatin? The Nrthern Netherlands regin ffers in all aspects everything it takes t allw autnmus transprtatin t becme a sustainable feature f its whle future transprtatin system. Particularly within its public transprtatin there seem t be ample pprtunities fr varius applicatins. Offering transprtatin t all in every part f the regin, shall cntribute twards develping a vibrant and cnnected rural area. The primary fcus in this cntext lies n liveability and accessibility In rder t achieve this, it is desirable t cnduct varius pilt prjects ver the cming years at different lcatins in ur Nrthern regin. Autnmus transprtatin can be deplyed as: the missing link (within the existing public transprtatin system) between small villages as well as sparsely ppulated areas and the existing public transprtatin hubs fr buses and trains; a means f transprtatin t and frm recreatinal and turist attractins as well as temprary event sites; a means f transprtatin t and frm care services (imprving as well as pssibly partially replacing target grup and Scial Supprt Act related transprtatin in the future); a means f imprving the mbility f the elderly, the blind and partially sighted as well as disabled. Why is the Ommelander Ziekenhuis participating in this pilt? The Ommelander Ziekenhuis greatly values being readily accessible t its patients, emplyees and visitrs bth thse wh rely n their wn means f transprtatin as well n public transprtatin. The hspital s cllabratin in this pilt, reflects its cncern twards accessibility. In additin, it supprts the sustainability and innvative aspects f this pilt.