Suffolk County Council has secured government funding to explore the possibility of introducing self-driving shuttles to its transport network.
The ADASTRA Feasibility Study will see Suffolk County Council work with top city planners from Smart City Consultancy to explore deploying the shuttles as part of a county-wide Mobility Hub network.
Cllr. Chris Chambers, of Suffolk County Council, said: “We are committed to delivering a range of transport options to meet the changing needs of the county.
“The use of self-driving, environmentally friendly shuttles operating alongside traditional services as part of a Mobility Hub network is a key component of our strategy.
“Adastra will enable us to test our ideas with passengers and other stakeholders, giving people the chance to see the shuttles in action and build out the longer-term business case.”
The study will look at: defining customer, legislative, and operational requirements for autonomous shuttle deployment; producing preliminary design concepts; executing comprehensive cost and market analysis; and undertake a series of public consultations.
One of its main aims is to draw up an actionable business case, paving the way for commercial deployment and setting a benchmark for autonomous transport solutions in rural settings.
Early tests of autonomous shuttles in rural areas have demonstrated significant benefits for communities, from improving accessibility to reducing social isolation, tackling driver shortages and offering a more sustainable and cost-effective mode of transport.
Ian Pulford, of Smart City Consultancy, said: “We are passionate about delivering innovation and driving adoption of new autonomous services.
“Adastra is designed to do just that and is an important first step in delivering the new Mobility Hub network across Suffolk.
“This will better connect local services, creating new ways for people to travel and creating jobs as part of a novel first-mile, last-mile self-driving shuttle solution that could ultimately become a blueprint for wider deployment.”
The Feasibility Studies (FS) Competition is part of a £150million CAM Pathfinder programme, part of the government’s Industrial Strategy.
The government regards a thriving CAM ecosystem as key to driving innovation and helping realise its ambition of creating a ÂŁ40bn CAM sector and over 6,500 jobs in the industry by 2040.
ADASTRA is one of 14 projects to receive funding and support from government and industry through the Connected and Automated Mobility CAM Pathfinder Feasibility Studies (FS) Competition, delivered by Innovate UK and Zenzic.
