Do you Wiki Wiki or Miki? For the next 18 months at HNL, you’ll have both travel options to choose from when getting between Terminals 1 and 2 and the C and G gates. While Wiki is Hawaiian for “quick,” Miki means “agile.” The difference is that Miki is new, driver-less, electric, and smaller.
There will be four Miki shuttles starting April 17 in this new 18-month trial program. These autonomous 11-passenger electric shuttles run on the same routes as the Wiki Wiki bus to provide additional service to arriving and departing passengers. Passengers can board the new shuttles with carry-on luggage at designated points on the third level between 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
“The introduction of the Miki shuttle service not only enhances convenience for users of our airport but also aligns with our commitment to electrifying our transport fleet and achieving the state’s sustainability objectives.”
Hawaii Department of Transportation.
Miki will assess the feasibility of future autonomous shuttles.
The service is provided by Beep, Inc. Joe Moye, CEO of Beep said, “We are proud to collaborate with Hawaii DOT… in integrating cutting-edge autonomous mobility technologies.”
Each Miki shuttle can also transport wheelchairs, per ADA standards. While the shuttles operate autonomously, at this point, a trained attendant will be on board to oversee operations, work with passengers, and, if needed, manually control the shuttle. It isn’t clear if an attendant would be required following the 18-month pilot program.
While the DOT said Miki shuttles represent a step forward in Hawaii’s goal to reduce dependence on fossil fuels by transitioning state vehicles to electric power, it isn’t clear that the source of the power itself is sourced without fossil fuel.
The financial terms of the pilot were not revealed by the DOT, but it is said to be an “infrastructure-as-a-service contract” with Sustainability Partners, which facilitates the procurement of electric vehicles and infrastructure.
Autonomous shuttles elsewhere.
Autonomous shuttles are not unique to Honolulu but are part of a growing trend globally. For example, Newark Airport recently started its own pilot program for an autonomous vehicle on public roads. Similarly, Birmingham Airport has also embarked on a trial for self-driving shuttles. Autonomous shuttles are also serving on campuses and elsewhere like the city of Orlando.
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We need to keep people employed.
No thanks. Imperfect as they may be, give me a human at the controls any day of the week. Not only am I not comfortable with driverless vehicles but this is also just another way to put even more citizens of Hawaii on the unemployment line.