The first no-driver bus route commenced offering free rides on Dec 12 from Rest Station 1 through Station 5 of Hengqin Flower Corridor in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.

Driverless nine-seat Robobuses, developed by a Beijing-based autonomous driving company Qcraft, are providing trial services on the demonstration route. Whole-process automated driving is using single-vehicle intelligence + network connection technologies.

Visitors queue to board the Robobus [Photo provided by Urban Planning & Construction Bureau of Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin]

The route is 11 km (7 miles) long from North Qinhai Road to West Qinhai Road and includes nine stops at the Flower Corridor and Mangzhou Wetland Park. A single trip takes 45 minutes. Passengers can enjoy the natural scenery of Flower Corridor and Shizimen Waterway.

During the trial, the driverless buses run daily from 10 am to 5 pm. Visitors can make reservations via WeChat miniprogram "Qingzhouchuxing (轻舟出行)."

The intelligent networked vehicle demonstration application project is guided by the Urban Planning & Construction Bureau of the Cooperation Zone. Zhuhai Da Heng Qin Technology Development provides technical support. Next, the Cooperation Zone will improve operation plans, put new-vehicle models into operation, and open new routes to meet the travel needs of local residents and boost the diversified construction of intelligent transportation in Hengqin.