Orlando, Florida, debuts self-driving shuttle that will whisk passengers around downtown

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — There is going to be a new way to get around downtown Orlando, Florida, and it’s not going to require any human drivers. Starting later this month, an electric, self-driving shuttle will whisk passengers around a 1-mile (1.6 km) loop in the downtown area for no charge. Orlando officials said Wednesday that the eight-passenger shuttle service is part of a six-month trial for the central Florida city. Planners hope to use data gathered from the pilot program to guide future transportation strategy. The autonomous shuttle service is being operated by Beep Inc. The Orlando-based company already operates a similar service in a planned community near Orlando International Airport.