After Google’s self driving cars, the latest self driven automobiles that can be seen on the roads of Helsinki are the minibuses. These small electric buses were developed by a French company EasyMile which is a joint venture between two other French companies, automaker Ligier and robotics firm Robosoft. These buses will be able to achieve a maximum speed of 25 miles per hour, but are being driven at 7 miles per hour during the trial period and can accommodate up to nine passengers at a time.

These buses are being deployed to carry passenger between two busy stations in the city’s waterfront Harnesaari district. A driver is stationed on board in case of an emergency.

This project aims to make Helsinki a carless zone within a few years. The city, which already has a well established transport system, is also developing an on demand mobility program, which would digitalize the booking procedure with the help of an integrated mobile app.

The buses will be launched in two more Finnish cities, namely, Espoo and Tampere later this year. They will be under a trial period this winter, but would join the fleet in spring.