SPACE project puts public transport at the centre of autonomous vehicles revolution

UITP recently launched its new project Shared Personalised Autonomous Connected vEhicles (SPACE), which aims to put public transport at the very heart of the ongoing developments in the area of autonomous vehicles. The project brings together 45 partners from 18 countries, all of which are UITP members.

During the kick-off meeting of the project, emphasis was given to the fact that cities need to prepare for the coming transition to the step-wise introduction of autonomous vehicles, not only from the technological perspective, but also concerning the options and impacts autonomous vehicles offer for the mobility system in urban areas.

To support this, the project will analyse potential automated road transport systems, as well as their impacts on cities and their transport networks. The project aims to develop new operational concepts and business models, as well as identifying the conditions that will enable the safe operation of automated vehicles in real world circumstances.

SPACE ultimately aims to develop tools and knowledge for public transport providers to create efficient and better services. Working on the respective areas of Connected and Autonomous Mobility, Technical Reference Architecture, Observatory and Experience Monitoring, as well as Impact Assessment and Stakeholder Engagement, the project seeks to place public transport at the heart of the future of connected and automated mobility service delivery.

For public transport, autonomous vehicles may require many changes and also provide opportunities, in addition to the use of autonomous vehicles in public transport services themselves. These include aspects such as feeder transport services and the coverage of low-density areas with new and affordable mobility options, as well as improving the passenger experience with real-time and personalised information and offers.

Capturing well the range and importance of the project's objectives, key note speaker Arnd Bätzner, Transit Strategist from Mobility CarSharing stated during the kick-off that “in a holistic view, it’s the land use impact that determines the long-term value”.

Story first published by UITP on 23rd of March 2018.