25 Apr 2022

Alexander Dennis Limited (“ADL”), a subsidiary of NFI Group Inc. (“NFI”), one of the world’s leading independent global bus manufacturers, today announced that live testing of Europe’s most complex and ambitious public autonomous bus pilot begins this week in Scotland ahead of passenger services starting later this year.

Bus operator Stagecoach will be conducting on-road testing of the autonomous bus over the next two weeks in partnership with Fusion Processing, ADL and Transport Scotland. No passengers are carried in these tests, which are in preparation for the launch of the CAVForth pilot service later this year.

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 ground-breaking 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.

The on-road testing in Scotland follows successful depot-based trials, track testing and virtual simulation where the buses have been put through their paces to fine tune the autonomous drive systems.

To help support the delivery of Project CAVForth, Transport Scotland recently opened a section of Actively Managed Hard Shoulder for all buses on the eastbound M8 motorway. It will help to reduce journey times and improve journey time reliability for all buses of 24 seats or more on approach to Edinburgh.

In a further positive step forward in the project, over 20 specially trained ‘Autonomous Bus Professionals’ are soon to be recruited by Stagecoach from its East Scotland business. When the service goes live, these experienced bus drivers will monitor the autonomous system alongside a bus ‘Captain’ who will move around the saloon, talking to passengers about the service and answering any questions they may have, demonstrating what a future service might feel like when the staff member is able to leave the cab while the computer does the driving.

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