A driverless bus is now connecting the end-of-the-line tram stop and the Kumu Art Museum in Kadriorg, one of the most picturesque areas in the Estonian capital, Tallinn.
The Tallinn Transport Authority and Tallinn University of Technology are piloting a self-driving bus within the project Sohjoa Baltic, with Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Poland, Germany and Latvia as partnering countries.
The bus, manufactured by the French company, Navya, connects the Kadriorg tram stop on Weizenberg Street to the Kumu Art Museum that is situated about 800 metres (0.5 miles) away, on the hill.
“Bringing a self-driving bus to Weizenberg Street is a very good idea for Kumu,” Kadi Polli, the museum’s director, said in a statement. “We all know that when one wants to come to Kumu by public transport, it’s a bit away from the nearest stop – and especially for tourists, the museum is not always easy to find. The bus is especially suitable for the elderly and families with small children, who have trouble getting to Kumu from the Kadriorg tram stop.”
The bus carries passengers from Tuesday to Sunday between 10am and 1pm and 2pm to 4pm. On Thursdays, when Kumu is open until 8 pm, as well as on Saturdays and Sundays, there will be an evening shift, the final schedule of which will be arranged according to demand.
Photo by Karel Zova/Estonian Art Museum.
