TAIPEI (Taiwan News)—A test run of a driverless minibus will be conducted on a Taipei City street in the wee hours from August 1 to August 5, Taipei City Government announced in a press conference Thursday.

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) advised the public not to panic if they happen to see the driverless vehicle EZ10 moving on the street.

Ko said the test run will occur on the Xinyi Road two-way exclusive bus lanes (between the Dunhua S. Rd. intersection and the Fuxing S. Rd. intersection) from 1 a.m. to 4 a.m. on August 1 – 5.

Talking about his experience of taking a test ride in a driverless bus on a highway in the U.S. last year, the mayor noted that the vehicle was moving at the speed of 110 kph.

However, as driverless vehicles still cannot be registered in Taiwan due to lack of legal provisions, they can only run on enclosed roadways. Despite the test run, Taiwan still has a long way to go before operation of driverless vehicles can be legalized. Ko said legal permission usually lags behind technological innovation. "In the face of the advent of new technologies, laws and regulations that should be adjusted accordingly should be amended as soon as possible," he said.