On the outskirts of the eastern Chinese port city of Tianjin, three children, a young professional and an elderly couple excitedly board a black-and-white self-driving bus and ride on board for 2.5km through quiet streets.
About a minute out of the station, the driver, who has been specially trained for road tests, hands over control to self-driving mode. At a slower than normal pace, the technology guides the bus along a straight stretch of road, braking for lights and a car that cuts across its lane, before parking at the next stop.
“It’s very convenient,” said Yu Xiaoyu, a teacher in her early thirties, “and the kids love it.” The whole family had crowded around the cockpit, ignoring warnings to sit still.