Moment Orlando’s first autonomous shuttle crashes just two days after launch
- A new driverless shuttle service in the city of Orlando ended up in an accident just days after the transit system unveiled the new vehicles.
- The new “SWAN” system – short for Shuttleling With Autonomous Navigation – is supposed to travel to five stops on a one-mile loop.
- Tuesday’s video shows the SWAN shuttle crashing into the bus from the city’s LYMMO system in downtown Orlando.
A new driverless shuttle service in the city of Orlando ended up in an accident just days after the transit system unveiled the new vehicles, with the accident reported on social media.
The new “SWAN” system – short for Shuttle With Autonomous Navigation – is intended to travel five stops on a one-mile loop using one of Orlando’s regular bus routes.
Its stops include parts of the University of Central Florida campus and the city’s “Creative Village.”
The new shuttles launched on Sunday August 20, and the now-viral video was recorded two days later.
Tuesday’s video shows the SWAN shuttle crashing into the bus from the city’s LYMMO system in downtown Orlando.
A new driverless shuttle service in the city of Orlando ended up in an accident just days after the transit system unveiled the new vehicles, with the accident being reported on social media.
“Tried the new SWAN shuttle in downtown Orlando today,” wrote one TikToker who captured the moment. “We crashed. »
Police said the shuttle was unable to register the Orange Line LYMMO bus turning in front of it.
Authorities said there was no effect on regular SWAN or bus schedules.
“There was no impact on service in this area due to the incident as LYMMO buses are on standby to take over under the autonomous shuttle pilot plan,” the agency added.
“At approximately 1:05 p.m. on Tuesday, August 22, 2023, on Terry Avenue near Livingston Street, there was an incident between a LYMMO bus and the SWAN shuttle resulting in minor cosmetic damage to both vehicles,” it said. the OPD in a press release.
They added that there were “no injuries among the passengers”.
At the end of the day, at 6:30 p.m., the autonomous shuttle had resumed its regular service.
The program is a pilot project run by a local self-driving vehicle company called Beep, in partnership with the Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority.
Police said the shuttle was unable to register the Orange Line LYMMO bus turning in front of it.
Tuesday’s video shows the SWAN shuttle crashing into the bus from the city’s LYMMO system in downtown Orlando.
The new “SWAN” system – short for Shuttle With Autonomous Navigation – is intended to travel five stops on a one-mile loop using one of Orlando’s regular bus routes.
“The SWAN, our free self-driving vehicle shuttle, began testing in Creative Village this morning, providing an innovative transportation option for downtown Orlando residents, students, and visitors,” the city wrote on Instagram last week.
“Operating on the LYMMO Orange Line, the shuttle will connect Lynx Central Station and SunRail to Creative Village. »
The pilot program is expected to last six months, according to Click Orlando.
DailyMail.com has contacted Beep for comment.
