The city of Sion in Switzerland approved a pilot project with two all-electric and fully autonomous buses which will hit the road as soon as spring 2016. The project could become the first fully autonomous public transportation system in operation.

The buses are being introduced in collaboration with the city of Sion, France-based electric bus manufacturer Navya and self-driving software firm BestMile. BestMile’s and Navya’s system utilize a suite of hardware consisting of LIDAR sensors and cameras. There’s no control inside the vehicle nor can it be controlled remotely. It’s a completely autonomous system.

Navya’s ARMA bus can be equipped with battery packs ranging from 16 to 64 kWh and with its top speed limited to 31 mph (45 km/h), a single can charge can easily last a day of driving.

The buses will first operate in a privately owned section of the city popular with tourists. The companies expect to run the trial project for 2 years and expand to other regions.

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