Scotland will soon be home to the first public self-driving bus service in the United Kingdom, in a groundbreaking achievement in autonomous driving technology.

Through project CAVForth, partially funded by the UK Government’s Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles, five driverless buses will hit the road from 15 May 2023, following successful trials earlier this year.

Covering a frequent 14-mile route in Edinburgh, the vehicles will be capable of self-driving the pre-determined journey between Ferrytoll park and Ride and the Edinburgh Park train and tram interchange at speeds of up to 50mph (80km/h).

“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,” said Transport Minister for the Scottish Government, Kevin Stewart.

“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.”

All vehicles will be equipped with a safety driver tasked with monitoring the vehicle and autonomous system, while a bus captain will be onboard to facilitate ticketing queries.

BBC | Driverless Bus Service To Start In Scotland In ‘World First’

5 April 2023