In a major step towards advancing autonomous public transport in Israel, the Ministry of Transport, the Israel Innovation Authority, and Ayalon Highways announced the four companies that will carry out the autonomous bus pilot in Israel.
In the coming months, the winning corporations are expected to begin a two-year pilot program operating autonomous buses, with an investment of NIS 61 million – half of which comes from government funding. Upon completion of the program, the winning corporations are expected to commercially operate the bus lines using autonomous buses. As part of the pilot, the groups will operate independent public transport services on public roads, including transporting passengers, with the approval of the Ministry of Transport's National Public Transport Authority.