‘World’s first’ driverless bus service to be scrapped

The driverless bus service, believed to be the first of its kind in the world, is being shut down due to lack of passengers.

CAVForth operates full-size, self-driving buses between Fife and Edinburgh on the Stagecoach timetable From May 2023With an estimated capacity of 10,000 passengers per week.

The five single-decker vehicles, which require two drivers even when operated autonomously, are traveling 14 miles between the rides at Ferrytoll Park and the Fife and Edinburgh Park train and tram interchanges.

However, the company said that “passenger adoption” on the government-funded pilot project “did not meet expectations” and that it would end in February 2025.

CAVForth is a collaboration between Fusion Processing Ltd, Alexander Dennis, Edinburgh Napier University and the University of the West of England.

it was Estimated cost is £6.1mMore than two-thirds of which comes from the UK Government’s £100 million Intelligent Mobility Fund, which includes other investment from bus operator Stagecoach, Transport Scotland and industry partners.

Their driverless buses are fitted with sensors that enable them to travel at speeds up to 50 mph on pre-selected roads.

On each journey they switch between autonomous and manual driving, controlled by computers on the Forth Road Bridge, and on the M90 ​​and M8 to the A720 in Edinburgh.

A “safety driver” remains in the driver’s seat to monitor the technology even when the computer is controlling the bus, and a “bus captain” helps passengers with boarding, purchasing tickets, and inquiries.

A spokesperson for CAVForth said they were “proud to achieve this as a world first” and demonstrate “the capability of self-driving technology on real-world registered timetables”.

“This unprecedented test project has provided invaluable insights into how we can work together with partners to shape the future of public transport,” he said in a statement.

“Although passenger adoption on the AB1 route did not meet expectations, the test has significantly advanced the understanding of operational and regulatory requirements for autonomous services, which was expected from this demonstration project.”

It added that the project partners would explore new opportunities for self-driving technology in other parts of the UK.