Self-driving vehicles could replace buses on Iceland’s CityLine

Self-driving technology could eventually replace conventional buses in the Borgarlína rapid transit system, Betri samgöngur chief executive Þorsteinn R. Hermannsson told mbl.is.

Rather than running large buses with drivers every 10 minutes, the system could eventually use smaller self-driving vehicles operating much more frequently, he said.

Self-driving technology would transform the service, according to Þorsteinn. Because Borgarlína will operate on dedicated lanes, autonomous driving could be introduced on the route more quickly than in ordinary traffic.

“The self-driving vehicle would really only need to know one route to drive back and forth on all day,” he said, adding that the second or third generation of the system could be self-driving.

While warning that future developments were difficult to predict precisely, Þorsteinn said he considered frequent self-driving vehicles more likely to become the future of public transport in the capital region than a rail system.

“The investment we are making now is sufficient for self-driving technology. All the lanes, stations and traffic lights will be ready,” he said. A future rail system, by contrast, would require substantially greater investment, including replacing the road surfaces and installing tracks.

Preparation and construction of Borgarlína are continuing according to the plan published in 2024, Þorsteinn said. The first phase, running from Ártúnshöfði to Hamraborg, is scheduled to be completed in 2031.

The Fossvogur bridge and its connections are scheduled to open in 2028. Connections to Hlemmur and neighbouring streets for Borgarlína or bus traffic are also expected to open that year.

Conventional buses will begin using completed sections as they become available. The full first phase will not be formally completed until 2031 under current plans, but the rapid transit system can be opened in sections without waiting for all construction to finish.