1、Research insights into an autonomous futureInvestigating the potential and merits of Connected and Automated Mobility for public transportContentsForeword 3Overview of the status quo 4Innovative feasibility studies 10Insights from practitioners 15A future of autonomous public transport?19Where do we

2、 go from here?31Research insights into an autonomous futurePublic transport plays a vital role in the smooth running of cities across the UK.It intersects with many other public policy areas,including access to jobs,healthcare and education,initiatives to reduce carbon emissions,congestion,and air p

3、ollution,and an improved built environment with more efficient and people-centric use of space.However,the implementation of public transport solutions is often a costly and disruptive endeavour,sometimes also resulting in unintended consequences for subsets of the population.Recent advances in auto

4、nomous vehicle(AV)technology have the potential to significantly impact public transport systems.It is therefore valuable to explore how such autonomous public transport systems might work,and assess the associated opportunities and risks.While Connected and Automated Vehicle(CAV)trials are prevalen

5、t throughout the UK and further afield,trials using CAVs for public transport are limited.Only a handful of trials are taking place across the UK,with the success of these schemes till to be determined.In January 2023,the UKs first zero emission automated bus began a trial in Oxfordshire.This was a

6、funded trial for a 16-seat,fully accessible single decker bus with a safety driver on board at all times to provide a personalised service and information to passengers.The trial was designed to demonstrate the application of AV technology to real-world service provision and concluded at the end of