## The First Driverless Bus in the UK Begins Transporting Passengers Across the Forth Road Bridge
Key Highlights :
The UK has taken a huge step towards the future of public transport with the launch of the first driverless bus across the Forth Road Bridge. The vehicle is part of the CAVForth project and is a trial that will run until 2025. The bus has two members of staff – a safety driver who can take control of the vehicle and a “captain” to sell tickets and provide customer service.
The bus is an Alexander Dennis Enviro200AV and will cover a 14-mile route, in mixed traffic, at up to 50mph across the bridge. While buses generally have just one driver, the captain is on board to demonstrate what a full-size autonomous bus may feel like in the future when the buses can operate with one member of staff who can leave the cab as the computer drives.
The launch of the driverless bus is a major milestone in the development of autonomous public transport. It is hoped that the vehicles will improve safety by reducing reaction times, and improve efficiency by optimising acceleration and deceleration which, it is hoped, will deliver significant energy savings and reduced wear and tear on the vehicles.
Stagecoach director Sam Greer said that the company will be analysing the data, the reaction and feedback from passengers and the general public about acceptance of the technology and will make a decision about how they use the technology in the future. He added that the vehicle has been certified as safe for public use and has completed one million testing miles so far.
The CAVForth project is a collaborative effort between Fusion Processing, Stagecoach, Alexander Dennis, Transport Scotland, Edinburgh Napier University, Bristol Robotics Lab and the University of the West of England. It is part-funded by the UK Government’s Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles.
The launch of the driverless bus is a major step towards the future of public transport and could revolutionise the way we travel. It is hoped that the trial will be met with positive feedback from the general public and that autonomous buses will become the public transport of the future.
