‘Autonomous buses will make urban transport more efficient’

Autonomous and semiautonomous buses will ensure urban transport to be even more efficient by, for instance, increasing loading factors. This will allow vehicles and vehicle combinations of different sizes to find customers whenever required, instead of being fixed to fixed routes. This concludes the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) in ‘The 2030 Urban Mobility Challenge: ACEA’s Contribution’.

By 2030, most of the world’s population will be concentrated in cities. Assuming this trend continues, by 2050 more than 80 percent of the world’s population will live in an urban environment. The association describes cities as ‘places of innovation, drivers of our economy and places where wealth and jobs are created’.

Connected network

At the same time urban areas are characterised by density. ACEA advises to threat the economy, society and the environment with ‘equal importance’. “The future will bring a transportation landscape in which private cars, buses, freight, pedestrians, bicycles and rail will be woven into a connected network; saving time and resources, producing lower emissions and congestion, and promoting efficient land use and improved safety.”

The association predicts there will be new and flexible commuting corridors in the future. “Intelligent transport systems make full synchronization possible. This is a major enabler for connecting different parts of a city in an efficient and customer-oriented network of public transports.”

Read the full report here.