UK tests first autonomous city bus with live passengers
By Luke Willetts - 15th February 2023
Making history, first autonomous bus with passengers in the UK's CAVForth Project.
UK – January saw UK coach operator, Stagecoach, test the first autonomous bus (Alexander Dennis Enviro200AV) to carry passengers (22 in total) over the Forth Road Bridge, near Edinburgh, in a UK first as part of the CAVForth project. The project is funded jointly by the UK Government’s Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) and the project partners, comprising Fusion Processing, ADL, Stagecoach and Transport Scotland.
The vehicles have sensors enabling them to run on pre-determined routes without a driver having to take control. When fully operational, each bus will have a driver monitoring the system alongside a bus captain who will help passengers with boarding and buying tickets. More tests are to follow but once these trials are completed successfully, the hope this that this will lead to the first registered autonomous bus service in the UK, pending legal/government approval.
