Council study to explore self-driving vehicles

A self-driving prototype Suffolk County Council vehicle was shown at the EVEX2025 event at Trinity Park in Ipswich in June

Funding has been secured to explore how self-driving shuttle vehicles could be introduced into a county's transport network.

Suffolk County Council has been given £75,000 in government funding for a feasibility study to understand the public's perception around the safety and operations of driverless vehicles.

While the study does not include trials with remote operators of these vehicles, it would inform future planning for them.

Chris Chambers, in charge of transport strategy at the council, said it was "committed to delivering a range of transport options" to meet changing needs.

The study, titled the ADASTRA Feasibility Study, is one of 14 across the UK.

The council has been working with Smart City Consultancy which operates a self-driving shuttle at BT Adastral Park near Ipswich.

The shuttle was built in New Zealand by Ohmio and can accommodate 15 people in total, but currently has a maximum seated capacity of eight with a safety driver.

The council met with design experts to assess the technical, operational and regulatory requirements of incorporating self-driving shuttles into a future network of mobility hubs across the county.

A series of public engagement events will take place across the county to gather feedback and raise awareness about autonomous technology.

The council said the study would position Suffolk to lead in future funding rounds under the CAM Pathfinding programme

The funding has been secured through the Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) Pathfinder Feasibility Studies Competition in support of the government's ambition to establish a £40bn CAM sector by 2040.

"The use of self-driving, environmentally friendly shuttles operating alongside traditional services as part of a Mobility Hub network is a key component of that strategy," Chambers said.

"ADASTRA will enable us to test our ideas with passengers and stakeholders, giving people the chance to see the shuttles in action and build out the longer-term business case."