UK – Enviro200 buses from Larbert, Scotland-based manufacturer Alexander Dennis Ltd have taken part in a pilot on-road autonomous bus passenger-less scheme, ahead of operations with passengers that are scheduled for later this year. Bus operator Stagecoach has been conducting the passenger-less tests over the course of a two-week period.

The Project CAVForth pilot, which is jointly funded by the UK Government’s Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) and the project partners Fusion, ADL, Stagecoach and Transport Scotland, will see five autonomous ADL Enviro200 single deck buses operating at SAE Level 4 over the Forth Road Bridge between Ferrytoll Park and Ride in Fife and the Edinburgh Park train and tram interchange. The buses are fitted with Fusion Processing’s sensor and control technology, CAVStar, that enables them to run on pre-selected roads without the safety driver having to intervene or take control. The buses will provide a service capable of carrying up to 36 passengers at a time over the 14 miles across the bridge, with capacity for over 10,000 passengers a week.