Public attitudes towards autonomous mini buses operating in real conditions in a Hellenic city

Public attitudes are a key factor shaping the demand and market for autonomous vehicles. Previous studies are limited to a priori attitudes since such vehicles are not yet fully accessible to the public. A survey among 200 passengers of autonomous mini buses in real operation in the city of Trikala shows that they were well accepted and integrated in the people's everyday life and that there were no major concerns as regards safety and security on board. A survey involving 519 adult Trikala citizens revealed that regular users of the autonomous mini bus were younger people, experienced with driving automation systems, who would prefer fully autonomous than manual driving and who would use an autonomous vehicle. Although the findings should be verified with bigger samples and in more cities and traffic environments, they are encouraging towards the introduction of autonomous buses in urban environments.