Enviro200, UK’s first full-sized autonomous bus service

Alexander Dennis Limited, a subsidiary of NFI Group Inc, today announced that in partnership with Stagecoach, Fusion Processing and Transport Scotland, it has revealed the first glimpse of the new special livery for the autonomous buses launching in Scotland in 2022. It is the next key milestone in the CAVForth trial which will see full-sized autonomous buses running on UK roads for the first time next year. The new service will be made up of four Alexander Dennis Enviro200 single deck buses running a 14-mile route crossing the iconic Forth Road Bridge. It will provide capacity for up to 10,000 passengers a week, connecting Ferrytoll Park & Ride in Fife with the Edinburgh Park transport hub and is expected to be popular with commuters, students, day trippers and tourists as well as novelty riders keen to be first to say they have been driven by a computer.

The new service will make it easy for people to switch to public transport by providing a brand new bus route in the heart of East Scotland. It comes on the back of the COP26 climate change summit where bus operator Stagecoach said that the fastest way to make progress towards the UK’s net zero ambitions is by people switching from making car journeys and instead travelling by public transport, cycling or walking.

The four Enviro200 buses, which will feature the special new livery, are currently being fitted out with the groundbreaking sensor and control technology developed and supplied by project lead, Fusion Processing Ltd, that allows them to become computer-driven. The vehicles are also being put through their paces with an array of virtual and track testing to ensure all systems are functioning as expected before on-road testing begins later this year.

The colours and design were chosen through consultation with local communities and a decision made to ensure the vehicles stand out on the road. The design of the livery is intended to ensure that it still feels like a regular bus whilst also acknowledging the array of project partners who are making this world-leading pilot service a reality: Stagecoach, Fusion Processing, ADL, Transport Scotland, Edinburgh Napier University, Bristol Robotics Lab, University of the West of England, as well as the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles as funding partner.