A driverless pod is now available to visitors who want to get around the Olympic Park in East London.
The Navya autonomous pod is London’s first driverless hop-on passenger bus and was developed by Euston-based firm Keolis UK following trials on the Las Vegas main strip. Although it appears similar to recent four-seater shuttles used in trials in Greenwich, trips around the Olympic Park do not have to be pre-booked.
The pod has a claimed top speed of almost 30mph on the open road, but the Navya pod’s speed in the Olympic Park has been limited to 5mph. It is also fitted with automatic braking technology.
The pod navigates a pre-planned route using cameras and GPS, but will be manned by a conductor in case of emergency. The 1km circuit starts at the Timber Lodge café near the Velodrome and serves four stops, taking about 12 minutes. It can accommodate 15 people and park bosses say it gives ‘visitors a novel way to enjoy the space’.
