Driverless bus trial given £1m funding boost

An Enviro200AV bus, supplied by Alexander Dennis, will be adapted and then trialled on the Bristol Busway before moving to Cambridge

An extra £1m has been secured to expand the operations of a city's driverless bus trial.

The 15-seater automated bus service was launched in Cambridge in June and so far, nearly 200 passengers have taken up the free travel.

Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) has received the extra funds from the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles to extend trials of its 'Connector' project.

Brian Milnes, chair of GCP's executive board, said the aim was to "make our public transport network more efficient, more inclusive, and better connected".

"Securing this additional funding is a major vote of confidence in the work we're doing to shape the future of transport in Greater Cambridge," he added.

"We're not just trialling new vehicles, we're building the evidence base for a smarter, greener transport system that works for everyone."

The current driverless bus trial runs from Madingley Road Park & Ride around the University of Cambridge's Eddington neighbourhood and into the Cambridge West Innovation District.

It offers four 18-minute loop services, which run in the mornings and afternoons, Monday to Friday, and has covered more than 700 miles (1,126km) so far, according to the GCP.

It also plans to trial self-driving passenger transport at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus.

The additional investment means the trials will continue until at least next March.

It will also fund an accessibility and inclusivity study to ensure the service meets the needs of all people, including disabled and older residents and parents of young children.

The project is part of the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles' CAM Pathfinder Programme and has been funded by the government.

It has so far cost £7.8m, of which £5.3m is a government grant and this includes the latest £1m.