US self-driving shuttles try virus-killing UV rays to assure riders

A self-driving bus being tested out on tourist route in Tallin, Estonia, in June 16. Two self-driving car startups in the United States are putting UV-light emitters in their shuttles to help keep their services running. — AFP

A pair of self-driving car startups in the United States are offering a solution to commuters shunning shared transportation in the midst of a pandemic: ultraviolet rays.

Voyage and May Mobility, two autonomous-vehicle companies that charge riders to go on simple, specialised routes, are putting UV-light emitters in their shuttles to help keep their services running. The rays are already used in ambulances and can destroy viruses, fungus and bacteria between rides.