Fife will lose the UK’s first self-driving bus route in February 2025.
Both Stagecoach and the partners of the CavForth project behind the service cited low passenger numbers in Monday’s announcement.
Five self-driving Stagecoach buses currently take passengers from the Ferrytoll Park & Ride near Inverkeithing to the Edinburgh Park Transport Interchange on Stagecoach’s AB1 route.
It was launched in May 2023 to much fanfare, but Stagecoach told The Courier it had always planned to end the service in early 2025.
Stagecoach’s innovation manager, Steven Russell, said this was “aligned with the project’s funding timeline”.
“The route for the trial was selected pre-Covid to serve a busy business park,” he said.
“Commuting patterns have shifted significantly post-pandemic and this area has seen reduced activity.
“We did not see sufficient demand to continue the Ferrytoll to Edinburgh Park route beyond the project’s live demonstration phase.
“The trial has provided invaluable insights into autonomous technology and its potential for future applications.
“The partners remain committed to developing self-driving technology and exploring how it can enhance public transport.”
He didn’t confirm whether the service would ever return.
Why didn’t passengers use Fife’s driverless bus service?
The 14-mile AB1 route was launched to much fanfare in May 2023.
Since then it has provided 10 services per day across the Forth Road Bridge, with one additional stop at the Fourth Road Bridge South Access.
The Bus Users UK charity praised the service.
However, it wasn’t aware of any plans for other autonomous bus services in Scotland outside the continuation of a driverless bus in Inverness.
Passengers using the AB1 from Fife have to get a bus to the Ferrytoll Park & Ride.
And then change again at Edinburgh Park to get onward transport to the capital.
Greig Mackay, the Scotland director at Bus Users UK, said: “It was always going to have limited appeal.
“Most passengers use more direct bus services into Edinburgh like the X55 or X58.
“That’s the primary reason why patronage wasn’t high on the route.
“It was always just a trial project and it has achieved the highest patronage that it could.
“The technology is still in its infancy and there weren’t many alternative options for routes because the quality of many roads in Scotland isn’t good enough.
“The buses need to be able to recognise the lines on the roads and read the signs.”
Were Fife passengers hesitant to step onto a driverless bus?
In June 2023 a poll by The Courier found that only 32% of 964 readers would be willing to get on a driverless bus.
But the buses have never been fully autonomous.
Two Stagecoach employees are onboard at all times and take over when it nears Edinburgh Park or Ferrytoll.
Greig added: “Passengers were involved in the process from the start, so I don’t think fears about autonomous vehicles was a factor.
“There was always a driver there at the wheel and it was in a confined environment.
“Many passengers were intrigued about how it would work, but the novelty factor just wore off.
“It was probably the natural time for it to come to an end and it has been a fairly successful project.”
CavForth: ‘Passenger adoption did not meet expectations’
The CavForth project was a collaboration between Fusion Processing Limited, Alexander Dennis, Edinburgh Napier University and the West of England University.
According to CavForth, the service demonstrated the “potential for a self-driving technology on a real-world registered timetable”.
A CavForth Partners statement said: “It has provided a wealth of learnings that will inform the continued development of autonomous technology in the UK.
“Although passenger adoption on the AB1 route did not meet expectations, the trial has significantly advanced the understanding of the operational and regulatory requirements for autonomous services.”
CavForth partners also insisted the project had delivered “what was expected”.
And they said they were committed to exploring other options for autonomous bus travel.
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