Ioki selected in Zurich for an on-demand driverless shuttle pilot

DB-backed tech company ioki has been selected as the software partner of the pilot project for autonomous driving in public transport in the canton of Zurich, Switzerland. Together with the project partners the Canton of Zurich, SBB (Swiss Federal Railways) and the Swiss Transit Lab, ioki is working towards improving mobility in rural areas and strengthening connections to public transport.

Ioki on-demand technology powers also Wayla DRT transit service in Milan, launched in October 2024 and has been involved in the past in autonomous driving pilots in Switzerland and Luxembourg.

Autonomous driving project in Zurich

From spring 2025, autonomous vehicles will operate in the Furttal region of the canton of Zurich, transporting passengers to their destination in the pilot region. Nissan’s vehicles, equipped with WeRide’s automated driving technology, can be booked via a dedicated passenger app developed by ioki seamlessly integrating with the existing public transport network, ioki explains. In addition to the passenger app, ioki provides the on-demand software for booking and route planning of the autonomous vehicles.

Ioki states it has more than 150 successfully implemented on-demand projects throughout Europe and more than seven million passengers served.

Michael Barillère-Scholz, CEO at ioki, emphasised: “We are delighted to be part of this forward-looking project. With our on-demand technology, we are making a significant contribution to improving mobility in rural areas. The development of future mobility concepts is crucial for driving the digital and sustainable transformation of public transport.”