Launch of Shared Automated Vehicles operations in Stockholm
On the 24th of January KTH and ITRL in a larger consortium led by Nobina have started with the first long-term trial of self-driving buses. The bus line runs in Stockholm (Kista) from Kista Galleria to Scandic Victoria Tower and it is the Nordics first self-driving bus on the public road in regular traffic.
ITRL has been involved in this project together with researchers affiliated to the transport planning department at KTH. Within the SARA1 project KTH and ITRL are concerned with investigating and evaluating user behaviour and acceptance of this new form of transportation. Also within the project we aim to understand the potential impact shared self-driving vehicles may have on how people think about transportation and their everyday commute. The project has been funded through ITRL and Drive Sweden.
Researcher Anna Pernestål Brenden has been interviewed by Sveriges Radio P1, where she explains more about the perspective from ITRL and why the research on the impact of Shared Automated Vehicles is important. You can listen to the whole interview via sverigesradio.se/sida/avsnitt/1011851?programid=3345 (Swedish). Dagens Nyheter has a short video report on the buses, to give an impression www.dn.se/sthlm/dn-sthlm-testaker-den-sjalvkorande-bussen-i-kista/ .
Researchers involved are:
PhD student Chee Pei Nen