Perth transport giant Stagecoach has unveiled a new driverless bus.
The autonomous vehicle is being trialled at the company’s Manchester depot.
The cabin of the driverless bus.
The single-deck bus is part of a ground-breaking partnership with manufacturer Alexander Dennis Ltd (ADL) and technology firm Fusion Processing, funded with £4.35m from the UK Government’s Innovate fund.
The control system, which allows the vehicle to turn corners and move into self into a bus wash, uses multiple sensors such as radar, optical cameras and ultrasound, as well as satellite navigation to detect and avoid objects.
A wider trial is planned for 2020, when a fleet of five autonomous buses will operate – carrying passengers – between Fife and Edinburgh, across the Forth Road Bridge corridor.
Stagecoach chief executive Martin Griffiths said: “Our employees are the beating heart of our business and I believe that will remain the case, but the world is changing fast, particularly where new technology is involved, and it’s our job to lead the way in looking at ways to continually progress and improve our operations for the good of the many people who use our bus services every day.”
