Germany could see 'widespread use' of driverless buses and trucks in a decade

The "widespread use" of self-driving buses and trucks that travel without a driver is expected in five to 10 years, KBA President Richard Damm told German regional newspaper, the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung on Saturday.

Hamburg could get the first approval in the whole of Europe with around 10,000 shuttle buses on the streets by 2030, Damm told the newspaper.

Autonomous minibuses are already being tested there, and from 2026, passengers will also be allowed to ride on board "on a trial basis". The minibuses will operate as on-demand shuttles in the Hamburg city area.

Damm said that at Oktoberfest in Munich this year, the Technical University of Munich also ran a pilot project on autonomous driving.

KBA President Damm said that many logistics companies in the USA have long been relying on autonomous trucks for long distances and are looking for partners for this. "I expect the same for hub-to-hub traffic in Germany," he said.

The head of the authority called on transport companies in Germany not to miss out on the development. It's an expensive purchase, "but the advantages, the flexibility gained, are huge," he said, adding that at peak times, convoys with two, three or more shuttle buses could be formed.

The KBA is responsible for the approval of autonomous buses or trucks. Damm told the NOZ that Germany has the "world's most innovative law on autonomous driving, we are years ahead in this regard". 

"On this basis, the KBA can approve tests nationwide, for tests on motorways, federal roads and in cities," he added. "This ensures a high level of safety for the products."

But Damm said that legislation now needed to be adapted because it was currently "geared towards the requirement that a person is on board the vehicle".