Full-Size Autonomous Buses Begin Operating in Scotland

The self-driving vehicles operate a 14-mile route between Edinburgh and Fife. For now, they'll include two staff members—one behind the wheel and a 'bus captain' to help passengers.

Five full-sized autonomous buses are now serving passengers in eastern Scotland.

In a first for the UK, the self-driving vehicles run along a 14-mile route between capital city Edinburgh and Fife, crossing Scotland's famous Forth Road Bridge.

Operated by Stagecoach, the black-and-white "driverless" buses include two staff members—one behind the wheel to monitor the technology, and another acting as "bus captain," helping passengers board and buy tickets.

"This demonstrates what a future autonomous service could feel like when a single bus 'captain' can leave the cab while the computer does the driving," according to a project press release.

(Credit: CAVForth)

The autonomous drive system, dubbed CAVStar, features a suite of sensors—cameras, LiDAR, radar, artificial intelligence—which receive information directly from traffic light systems to eliminate unnecessary braking and accelerating.

Buses travel up to 50mph only on pre-selected roads, including along highways, bus lanes, and private land. They can handle a "range of complex traffic maneuvers" like roundabouts, traffic lights, lane changes, and, of course, bus stops. Stagecoach estimates the five single-decker vehicles are capable of carrying some 10,000 passengers per week. (Earlier this month, Transport Minister Kevin Stewart kicked off a campaign(Opens in a new window) encouraging over-60s to choose public transportation over cars.)

The government-funded program was developed in partnership with Fusion Processing, Alexander Dennis, Stagecoach, Transport Scotland, Edinburgh Napier University, and the Bristol Robotics Laboratory at UWE. A pilot was initially expected to run for six months beginning in 2022. Sky News this week reported(Opens in a new window) that the service will operate on a trial basis until 2025.

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