Las Vegas Orders Self-Steering Buses

Las Vegas will likely be the first U.S. city to deploy a first in intelligent transportation, a kind of trolley bus intended to compete with light rail.
Also called a rubber-tired tram, the vehicle is much like a typical urban bus,

but it steers itself following markings painted on pavement. A spokesman for the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada told the New York Times the agency will put the new buses to work to serve the sprawling suburbs of the desert gambling mecca beginning in 2003.
The trolley bus uses a dashboard-mounted camera and a computer to track the markings in the road, automatically correcting the vehicle's in-lane position. The driver can operate the bus hands free, much like a trolley motorman. However, the trolley bus driver can override the automated steering at any time.
According to the Times, automated steering is accurate within two inches, enough to allow curbside "docking" much like a trolley or tram car. The vehicles are powered by a hybrid of diesel and electric motors, which eliminates the need for a transmission or driveshaft. The bus floor is low enough that wheelchairs can be accommodated without special equipment.
The system, called Civis, a joint venture of Renault and Fiat, is made in France. According to Jane’s Transport, Las Vegas has ordered 15 of the vehicles.