An autonomous driving minibus runs on a road in Yuhang District, Hangzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, May 22, 2024. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

The autonomous driving bus route in Yuhang District is the first one of its kind powered by vehicle-road coordination technology in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. This 5-kilometer bus line winds through schools, industrial parks, residential compounds and subway stations, free of charge for all citizens.

Autonomous driving buses achieve holographic sensing of the road network through smart sensing devices such as high-definition cameras and radars along the roads. The vehicle-road coordination technology also effectively improves operational safety for the vehicles.

That said, each of these buses still has a human supervisor, who would immediately take over the vehicle in case of emergency to further ensure passenger safety.

A passenger gets on an autonomous driving minibus in Yuhang District, Hangzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, May 22, 2024. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

A citizen books a free trip on the autonomous driving minibus through a mobile phone application in Yuhang District, Hangzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, May 22, 2024. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

A screen displays real-time road surface situation and operational information inside an autonomous driving minibus that runs on a road in Yuhang District, Hangzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, May 22, 2024. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

A supervisor is pictured at the driver's seat on an autonomous driving minibus in Yuhang District, Hangzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, May 22, 2024. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

Editor: Cheng Dengyu