The Government of New South Wales (NSW) has teamed up with HMI Technologies, NRMA, Telstra, IAG and Sydney Olympic Park Authority to begin the first trial of a driverless shuttle bus.

After the completion of the first stage of trials and safety checks in a secure, off-road environment, the public will be allowed to board the driverless shuttle bus at Sydney Olympic Park.

NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance said: “Today we drive our cars but the reality is, cars will soon drive us and while we are not there yet, we need to be prepared for this change and we need to stay ahead of the game.”

Constance further noted that the primary objective of the trial was to find the best way to harness the next generation of driverless technology.

"It’s the combination of connectivity and automation that will provide the safety and mobility benefits we are looking for."

NSW Minister for Roads Melinda Pavey said: “We want to use the trial to help develop the systems that will enable automated vehicles to be connected to our infrastructure, like traffic lights, and to our customers through their devices and applications.”

“It’s the combination of connectivity and automation that will provide the safety and mobility benefits we are looking for.”

According to Pavey, the new trial is about connectivity as well as automated vehicles.

The NSW Government has created a Smart Innovation Centre in order to work with the industry and develop more trials for future transport systems.

Image: NSW Government to test driverless shuttle bus at Sydney Olympic Park. Photo: courtesy of New South Wales Government.