Transdev North America was ordered to immediately stop shuttling children to school in Southwest Florida using a driverless vehicle, due to a violation of their authorization under the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Transdev was earlier approved for a test project, allowing them to import and demonstrate their driverless shuttle. They did not, however, ask for it to be used as a school bus, nor did they disclose that they were doing so after the fact. School buses operate under much more intense scrutiny than other classes of vehicle because of their exclusive dealing with children.
“Innovation must not come at the risk of public safety,” Heidi King, NHTSA Deputy Administrator, said. “Using a non-compliant test vehicle to transport children is irresponsible, inappropriate, and in direct violation of the terms of Transdev’s approved test project.”
If Transdev continues to operate without change, a civil penalty action is likely to follow, and the NHTSA has threatened to void their temporary importation authorization. As a result, Transdev has promised to halt unapproved operations.