UK to get self-driving buses and taxis by 2021

The UK won't sit idly by while the US, Japan and China put self-driving vehicles on their roads. The country's government has announced an ambitious driverless public transport plan for 2021, including autonomous buses in Scotland and self-driving taxis in several of London's boroughs, with state funding to the tune of £25 million ($33 million). Scotland's first self-driving buses -- which could provide up to 10,000 journeys a week between Fife and Edinburgh across the Forth Bridge -- will get £4.35m Initially, the single-decker buses will require a human driver to be present at all times, with unmanned tests limited to the depot. The autonomous buses will be able to carry up to 42 passengers for the 14-mile journey and will operate every 20 minutes, according to the BBC.