NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Driverless shuttles take to the tarmac as gridlock baffles city planners

By Brittany Keogh
Reporter·Herald on Sunday·
10 Mar, 2018 04:00 PM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

New York-based futurist Greg Lindsay talks about the potential benefits of autonomous bikes. Supplied by Greg Lindsay.

It may seem like a scene out of a utopian movie, but an American futurist says bikes that pedal themselves and driverless buses could be the future of New Zealand's transport system.

And although experts here agree it's going to happen - a trial of driverless shuttles by company Ohmio is already under way in Christchurch - the tech and transport sector is divided on exactly when autonomous vehicles will hit the road en masse.

The potential safety benefits of driverless cars have been discussed for decades - 90 per cent of crashes in New Zealand are caused by driver error, which could theoretically be eliminated if vehicles were automated.

Read more: Self-driving vehicles company launches in Christchurch

However, critics have argued "zombie cars" driving around empty would worsen congestion.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"The nightmare scenario is that you'll have a traffic jam of empty cars as people send their cars to run errands for them while they sit at work or sit at home," said Greg Lindsay, a New York-based journalist, futurist and visiting scholar of New York University's Rudin Center for Transportation Policy & Management.

Greg Lindsay with some autonomous vehicles in nuTonomy's lab at the National University of Singapore. Photo / Supplied by Greg Lindsay
Greg Lindsay with some autonomous vehicles in nuTonomy's lab at the National University of Singapore. Photo / Supplied by Greg Lindsay

Speaking to the

Herald on Sunday

ahead of the T-Tech Transport Innovation Conference in Auckland on March 19 and 20, Lindsay said advances in technology could lead to the creation of a new type of vehicle that could help unclog roads.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"The first autonomous vehicle is most likely not going to be a car that drives itself - it's going to be [a shuttle] and it's going to be running prescribed routes.

"It's probably going to be really cheap to run. It's most likely going to be moving slowly but relatively painlessly."

He also expected ride sharing to continue to increase and sales of electric bikes - including models that could pedal themselves to people who booked them - to soar in New Zealand in the near future.

Ohmio vehicles in Christchurch. Photo / Supplied by Ohmio
Ohmio vehicles in Christchurch. Photo / Supplied by Ohmio

A report released last month by KPMG on 20 countries' openness and preparedness for autonomous transport concluded although New Zealand law didn't require vehicles to contain drivers, poor 4G coverage and inappropriate infrastructure could prevent the uptake of autonomous vehicles.

Discover more

Business

Incredible smartphone tech helps car avoid dog on road

23 Feb 01:39 AM
Business

Why an AI takeover may not be a bad thing

23 Feb 10:43 PM
Energy

Report: NZ could have a greener, bio-fuelled future

26 Feb 03:30 AM
New Zealand|crime

Privacy lawyer urging caution over drones

27 Feb 05:53 AM

However, Ministry of Transport manager of strategic policy and innovation Richard Cross said the authority didn't believe these were major barriers.

"Most of the autonomous vehicles currently being developed are designed to be self sufficient, so the vehicle manufacturers don't want their vehicles to be dependent on infrastructure provided by someone else."

Instead autonomous vehicles were designed to drive on a range of different road conditions and often used onboard sensors, cameras and Ridar - a bike traffic warning system - rather than 4G.

The Ministry supported the shift towards autonomous vehicles and was constantly reviewing legislation to help encourage this.

But, Cross would not be drawn on when he expected them to be on the roads.

"Nobody really knows the answer to that question. I guess what we do know is it's advancing really quickly and I think we're looking at it as something that is more likely to be a gradual transition than and instant shift," he said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
An Ohmio autonomous vehicle. Photo / Supplied by Ohmio
An Ohmio autonomous vehicle. Photo / Supplied by Ohmio

Read more: Dawn of the robot era - a look at how our lives will be in 2040

Auckland Transport (AT) spokesman James Ireland said although the organisation didn't have immediate plans to roll out driverless buses, it continued to review the need for them as new infrastructure was built.

A report produced by University College London and the University of Auckland in October 2015, which AT commissioned, found at least half the city's vehicles would need to be autonomous to justify reconfiguring roads to suit them.

"This mark is expected to be reached by 2055 and could result in a 22 per cent improvement in road capacity. By 2075 the entire fleet is predicted to have shifted to connected and autonomous vehicles," Ireland said.

University of Waikato's Professor Nicola Starkey, who is researching people's perceptions of autonomous vehicles and ride sharing, said the shift would likely occur gradually over the next 20 years.

Although most respondents of a 2017 survey she and colleagues conducted liked the idea of autonomous vehicles, very few wanted to travel in a car without a steering wheel.

"[It's] quite interesting because the whole idea of an autonomous vehicle is you don't really need to take control. But I think the illusion of being able to steer - having a steering wheel there - mattered a lot to people," she told the Herald on Sunday.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I think one of the hardest things will be to give up solo car ownership, because essentially the only way to solve transport problems, particularly in Auckland, would be to have fewer vehicles on the road and essentially have more shared vehicle use, shared vehicle ownership."

Dave Verma, Australasia AV initiative director at Ohmio's parent company HMI, said people saw cars as status symbols, freedom and self-expression as well as transport.

Getting people to change their transport habits would require social pressure as well as financially penalising people who owned cars.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

Wellington

'Do the right thing': Police call for info after baby suffers broken bones

03 Jul 12:29 AM
New ZealandUpdated

'Go for your dreams': 22-year-old Māori cloak maker reaching international markets

03 Jul 12:24 AM
Premium
OpinionUpdated

Audrey Young: Crash and burn – Chris Hipkins gets the pip over ram raids

03 Jul 12:14 AM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

'Do the right thing': Police call for info after baby suffers broken bones

'Do the right thing': Police call for info after baby suffers broken bones

03 Jul 12:29 AM

The 3-month-old had a broken arm and fractures to her upper and lower body.

'Go for your dreams': 22-year-old Māori cloak maker reaching international markets

'Go for your dreams': 22-year-old Māori cloak maker reaching international markets

03 Jul 12:24 AM
Premium
Audrey Young: Crash and burn – Chris Hipkins gets the pip over ram raids

Audrey Young: Crash and burn – Chris Hipkins gets the pip over ram raids

03 Jul 12:14 AM
'Felt like I was rock-climbing': Scientist on attic access in murder case

'Felt like I was rock-climbing': Scientist on attic access in murder case

03 Jul 12:00 AM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP