UK's first driverless bus begins passenger service in Edinburgh

The UK's first full-sized driverless buses have started operating for passengers in Edinburgh.

The autonomous vehicles, operated by Stagecoach, run across the Forth Road Bridge from Ferrytoll park-and-ride in Fife to Edinburgh Park station.

Despite the "driverless" name, the buses operate with two staff on board.

One will sit in the driver's seat to monitor the technology, and a so-called bus captain will help passengers with boarding and buying tickets.

Stagecoach said the five single-decker buses have the capacity for about 10,000 passenger journeys per week.

The vehicles have sensors enabling them to travel on pre-selected roads on the 14-mile route at up to 50mph.

The AB1 service is the first registered autonomous bus route in UK.

It is part of Project CAVForth, run by Stagecoach and funded by the UK government.

Stagecoach worked with Fusion Processing Ltd and project partners Transport Scotland, Alexander Dennis, Edinburgh Napier University and Bristol Robotics Laboratory.

The Alexander Dennis Enviro200AV buses can take on complex traffic manoeuvres such as roundabouts, traffic lights, and weaving between motorway lanes.

The project has recruited 20 staff from Stagecoach East Scotland's existing driving team.

Stagecoach UK managing director Carla Stockton-Jones said: "We are excited to introduce the UK's first autonomous bus fleet in east Scotland.

"We are proud to be at the forefront of transport innovation with this project that marks a significant milestone for public transport."