With the passing of legislation to allow driverless vehicles to operate on public roads, Council’s Director of Engineering and Works, Gino Belsito, is continuing discussions with NRMA for it to locate one of the buses in Kiama (first reported in our 10 August edition).

“They see us a potential partner to help promote this new technology,” he says.

“A driverless shuttle bus would be a perfect solution for the connectivity, automation, safety and mobility we are looking for in the Kiama CBD.”

Mr Belsito was recently part of a Council delegation, which included Councillor Warren Steel, that visited a driverless bus going through its paces to get permission to operate in NSW.

“It was very useful to see first-hand how a driverless bus would work, especially all the testing and safety checks being conducted as part of the trial,” says Mr Belsito.

“I was very impressed with its spaciousness and technical features.”

Councillor Warren Steel says, “I can easily see a driverless bus travelling along Terralong Street and Manning Streets in Kiama, connecting residents and tourists to key places such as the Leisure Centre, Kiama Library, Blowhole Point and the railway station.”

Mr Belsito says the next step is for NRMA representatives to come down to see the route and continue discussions.

On another technology front, Kiama Council is also talking to the NRMA about Kiama being included in its rollout of a $10 million network of rapid chargers for electric cars. Possible sites will be