Norway Launches Driverless Buses for Public Transport

Norway has authorized the operation of an autonomous bus on regular public routes without a safety driver, marking a significant milestone in the country’s public transportation development.

The Norwegian Public Roads Administration granted permission to transport operators Vy and Kolumbus to run the autonomous bus service in Stavanger, utilizing the Karsan e-ATAK electric bus platform equipped with autonomous driving software from ADASTEC.

The deployment is supported by the xFlow fleet management system developed by Applied Autonomy, which enables remote supervision, real-time monitoring, and operational control of the vehicle from a central control hub. The system also supports remote passenger assistance to manage onboard situations without a driver present.

According to Applied Autonomy, the xFlow platform integrates communication and operational oversight into a single interface, forming part of ongoing developments in autonomous public transport systems that combine vehicle automation with remote fleet management infrastructure.

The autonomous bus has been integrated into Stavanger’s public transport network since 2024, following the deployment’s kickoff in 2022. Karsan stated in its 2025 results presented in March that This proves working to remove the safety driver from autonomous vehicles and aims to start fully driverless operations in Stavanger by the third quarter of 2026.

Type approval for autonomous vehicles in Norway is targeted for 2027. The milestone represents a transition from supervised autonomous operations to fully driverless service within a controlled public transport environment.

The authorization addresses a critical challenge facing the public transportation sector across Europe, where an estimated shortage of over 105,000 bus drivers threatens service reliability and prevents the expansion of transit networks. Autonomous vehicles are seen as a potential solution to this deficit.

The permit covers the Karsan e-ATAK electric bus operated by Vy and Kolumbus within Stavanger’s public transit network, marking the first driverless authorization of its kind in Norway.