New South Wales is set to launch the first fully autonomous, driverless shuttle bus.

After an initial trial, the bus will be set loose on several routes.

From Government News Australia:

The next stage of the trial will see a fully driverless, remotely monitored vehicle operate at the Coffs Harbour Botanic Gardens, Transport Minister Andrew Constance announced at a media conference on Tuesday.

He said the next phase in the trial marked the first time an automated passenger bus had reached the fully driverless testing milestone.

“Today we’re announcing the first driverless shuttle,” he said. “To have a bus like this with no driver, with no supervisor, is important for these communities.”

Deputy secretary of customer strategy and technology Joost de Kock said automated buses would complement the state’s public transport network while reducing pollution and congestion.

“These automated vehicle trials are really important for us to learn more about how we use these technologies as part of our future technology direction,” he said.

The trial will roll out in the coming months.