World’s first driverless buses to start running in Scotland

Edinburgh, Scotland

Driverless buses will run for the first time in the world on the roads of Scotland, carrying passengers over Forth Road Bridge next month.

The 14-mile route will be covered by five single-decker buses from May 15, carrying around 10,000 passengers every week, which will run between Ferrytoll Park and ride in Fife and Edinburgh Park train and tram interchange.

Although sensors will be used by vehicles which will run on pre-selected roads at up to 50mph, two members of staff will still need to operate them. 

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A safety driver will be seated on the driver’s seat from where he will monitor the technology and the bus captain will guide the passengers with buying tickets, boarding and resolving queries. 

Project CAVForth will be the first self-driving public bus service, said the UK government. Scotland’s Transport Minister Kevin Stewart said, "This is an exciting milestone for this innovative and ambitious project, and I very much look forward to seeing Project CAVForth take to the roads next month.” 

"Our trunk road network can provide a wide range of environments as a diverse testing ground, and the ground-breaking and globally significant project will really help Scotland establish its credentials on the world stage,” he added.

The service will be run by Stagecoach, the largest bus and coach operator in the UK.

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Stagecoach UK managing director Carla Stockton-Jones said, "We are excited to introduce the UK's first autonomous bus fleet in east Scotland which is also home to our headquarters and where it all began over 40 years ago.”

"We are proud to be at the forefront of transport innovation with this project that marks a significant milestone for public transport and we look forward to welcoming our customers on board in the coming months,” he stated.