Driverless bus arrives in Inverness ahead of student trials
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A driverless bus has arrived in Inverness ahead of trials later this year.
The city's Beechwood campus has been chosen as the location for Scotland’s first Autonomous Vehicle (AV) pilot.
The Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS) said the base “fits well with the strategic vision of the area to promote multi-modal travel” and the move away from private car use.
The AV passenger service will provide a route linking Inverness Campus with the Inverness Retail and Business Park.
The route will cover 2km which includes a railway crossing facilitated by the recently introduced sustainable travel bridge.
HITRANS said the expectation is that the shuttle service would be used by students and people working on the Inverness Campus site to access the shopping and business park throughout the day.
In addition, tourists who might be staying in campus accommodation could use the shuttle.
While the vehicle might be capable of driving itself without being controlled by an individual, a driver will be present in the vehicle at all times.
The driving will be delegated to the vehicle, but the driver will be ready to take control whenever they are required to do so.
The trials are due to launch soon and will run for approximately 10 months before the project comes to an end in spring 2023.
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