Since April 25, 2022, an autonomous bus has been tested in Scotland as part of the CAVForth project. For fifteen days, this vehicle will be subjected to numerous tests so that in the long term it can be used, with four other similar buses, as the main means of a bus line linking Fife and Edinburgh, the Scottish capital, for a 22.5 kilometer journey.
Two weeks of intensive testing for Fusion Processing’s autonomous bus
After carrying out numerous simulations, tests on a closed circuit as well as others within a bus depot, the vehicles of the firm Fusion Processing are subjected to a full-scale test. The bus is equipped with sensors and control technology developed by this same company. The objective, thanks to this experimentation, is to guarantee SAE level 4 autonomy. Thus, the driver present in the driving cab will not have to intervene throughout the dedicated journey.
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Currently, the bus cannot accommodate passengers. However, the goal is to deploy autonomous vehicles (five in total) on the line connecting Ferrytoll Park & Ride in Fife, and the Park Train & Tram in Edinburgh while crossing the Forth Bridge, very famous in Scotland.
The Forth Bridge has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2015. Initially dedicated to rail transport, it will welcome Fusion Processing’s autonomous buses by the end of the summer. Photography: Esteban / Unsplash.
CAVForth project: generalizing autonomous vehicles in the United Kingdom
Launched in 2019, the CAVForth project is led by Fusion Processing, Stagecoach Group PLC, Alexander Dennis, Transport Scotland, Napier University and the Bristol Robotics Lab, while being funded by the UK government and the Center for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV ). Their goal: to ensure that autonomous buses can rub shoulders with other vehicles throughout the country.
Each bus will be able to allow 36 passengers to use this line, which corresponds to a maximum attendance of 10,000 passengers per week. 500 citizens living in the area between Fife and Edinburgh were consulted via a survey in order to get concrete feedback on the forthcoming implementation of this service. The majority of them are in favor of a driver remaining on board to ensure the smooth running of the bus.
Across Europe, several countries are trying to use autonomous vehicles to improve the performance of their public transport lines. In Germany, tests were carried out in Hamburg in October 2021 for future circulation of autonomous trains. In France, several projects with more or less success have been launched for the implementation of autonomous buses, autonomous taxis or autonomous delivery robots.