GVB wants to launch self-driving minibuses in Amsterdam within 3 years

A crowded Leidsestraat in Amsterdam, tram, GVB - Credit: - License: DepositPhotos Business Friday, 9 October 2026 - 18:40

Amsterdam public transport company GVB wants to launch self-driving minibuses in the Dutch capital within three years. Eventually, the company also wants to remove drivers from larger city buses. This is an effort to cope with staff shortages and to keep servicing unprofitable routes, GVB director Claudia Zuiderwijk told Parool.

GVB first wants to deploy these minibuses, which can carry six to ten people, in neighborhoods that are currently difficult or costly to serve due to low passenger numbers. “The cost lies in the drivers; with such low passenger volumes, that accounts for as much as 50 percent of the cost,” Zuiderwijk said.

The public transport company also has an aging workforce and is struggling with severe and growing staff shortages. Between 500 and 600 employees leave the company every year, and replacing them is a struggle in the tight labor market. GVB hopes that the self-driving minivans can help solve both of those problems.

Earlier this week, State Secretary Anet Bertram of Infrastructure also proposed self-driving buses as a solution to improve accessibility and combat staff shortages.

There is still too little experience with self-driving public transport in Europe to draw firm conclusions on passenger safety, but studies consistently show that self-driving cars can reduce the risk of accidents. Cameras and learning systems often outperform human drivers in terms of speed and accuracy.

On the downside, system failures and cyberattacks pose potential risks. There’s also the vast number of cyclists and pedestrians in Amsterdam to take into account. And beyond operating the vehicle, bus drivers also address misbehaving passengers and ensure a safe environment.

Zuiderwijk stressed that the GVB will take all these concerns into consideration during the pilot. The rollout will begin in quieter areas. “We certainly won’t start on Utrechtsestraat,” she said. The CEO mentioned the Noord district as a possible starting point.

The Netherlands already has self-driving shuttles running in Rotterdam between Kralingse Zoom metro station and the Rivium business park and around the Efteling theme park in Kaatsheuvel. A self-driving bus is also running between the Meijerspein metro station in Rotterdam and Rotterdam The Hague Airport. Due to the current regulations, a staff member is on board these vehicles whenever they have to go on public roads.