Autonomous Driving Live

“Krone” was allowed to test: driving through the city without a driver

These buses carry only passengers—no drivers.(Bild: Evelyn Hronek)

It looks spooky, sounds spooky, and feels spooky: But then comes the “aha” moment! “Kärntner Krone” was the very first media outlet to test the new, fully autonomous bus system in Klagenfurt—encountering pedestrians, cyclists, cars, and diesel buses along the way. And a roundabout...

Imagine this: You’re standing at a bus stop. And then the bus arrives—a small bus that looks the same from the front as it does from the back, gliding along slowly but steadily, as obediently as a model driving student. Behind the windshield: nothing and no one—no driver, no steering wheel.

And then the bus stops; you press the green button, the doors open, you can get on and take a seat. And off we go. The brakes release, the autonomous bus pulls away; unerringly, maintaining a safe distance from the curb, guided by GPS systems and an army of camera eyes and sensors. Nothing is supposed to escape its notice.

Here comes a bus heading in the opposite direction; a normal one, manned by a driver, a huge monster. And it’s driving a bit too far in the middle of the lane. What does our automated bus do? It warns the other bus with a screen, sounds a subtle warning, slows down just to be safe, and only picks up speed again after passing. Only to turn carefully right after—just as we all learned in driving school.

The buses are on the road in the test region west of Klagenfurt.(Bild: Evelyn Hronek)

Self-driving bus vs. roundabout
A little later, the first challenge: a car parked haphazardly on the side of the road. Our bus brakes, “looks,” sounds its horn, and creeps past. Then it joins the flowing traffic—cautiously, slowly, and feeling safe. And the next test: a roundabout, the one in front of Klagenfurt University—not a physically constructed “roundabout,” but just painted on the road. The bus does everything right: it steers in smoothly, signals, and steers out smoothly—impressive. Now “Krone” summer intern Verena is calming down and relaxing too. This fully autonomous thing can really drive.

But the next test is approaching: a beer truck is in the way. Delivering beer is important, sure, but it’s not really something you can program for. Our bus could handle that too, but it’s not (yet) allowed to by law, because autonomous vehicles aren’t permitted to swerve into the opposite lane. So this is one of those cases where the “safety driver” present during the test phase has to intervene.

Wolfgang steers the bus around the beer truck with a joystick—and on we go; until the next crosswalk, which a woman is just about to cross; and she stops in fright because there’s no driver in the bus coming toward her. But the bus has already spotted her, slows down, and comes to a stop. Just like they teach in driving school...

Speaking of driving school: just like there, the automated system also knows all the other right-of-way rules; it generally leaves bike lanes clear, watches out when a car cuts in too close after passing, “thinks” about whether the speed of other road users and their direction of travel allow for safe coexistence, and, of course, stays obediently and faithfully on its designated route.

The bus can be controlled with a joystick.(Bild: Evelyn Hronek)

During the trial phase, this route runs from the technology hub Lakeside Park, past the university, to Klagenfurt-West Station and back again. “The project is fantastic; we’ve come a long way and are constantly learning,” says Walter Prutej of SURAAA (Smart Urban Region Austria Alps Adriatic), sounding both enthusiastic and excited. After all, test runs like this don’t take place everywhere in the world; in California, in China, but in Europe, essentially only here.

To work with the computer
Starting Monday, July 15, anyone interested in technology can try out the mobility of the future. To ensure maximum safety, “safety drivers” will still be on board during this initial phase to intervene should any irregularities arise. Starting in 2026/2027, Walter Prutej expects that such buses could gradually be deployed in public transit; and even more extensively starting around 2030.

All the way to futuristic on-demand systems, where you can simply order your self-driving taxi to your home and let the computer drive you to work and to the store. Studies have shown that we could save 300 cars per 1,000 residents in Carinthia alone. Today, we’re at 700 per 1,000 residents! Because most trips are just quick errands—exactly what the small, self-driving bus is so great at handling.

Speaking of autonomous: another plus is that you don’t need a driver as a person (in the final phase, just one operator in a control center will monitor about 20 buses via screens). After all, there’s already a shortage of bus drivers across Europe. And since the average age is 55, this shortage will become even more acute in the future.

So: if you want to experience the future—complete with a bit of adventure and a touch of the spooky—head straight to Lakeside Park starting July 15!