This is what Malta's first driverless bus looks like
Testing is due to get underway next month
Malta Public Transport (MPT) has unveiled an autonomous bus which is set to be tested on public roads next month.
The 15-seat self-driving vehicle was revealed in a short video posted to social media on Thursday.
The public transport operator said the arrival of the bus in Malta marks the start of a testing phase set to last at least six months, as part of a pilot project managed by MPT, the Transport Ministry and the University of Malta.
Once on the roads, the bus is set to operate an on-demand service across Malta and Gozo on “carefully selected, pre-approved routes”, with passengers able to request rides as required.
Images of the vehicle interior show a departure from traditional bus layouts featuring rows of seating, with the new bus instead favouring flip-down side seats.
Seeking to allay potential safety concerns, the operator stressed that safety was “central” to the project, with a trained operator to be on board at all times during the testing and able to take control of the vehicle at any point.
Times of Malta understands the bus is currently undergoing technological tests before being tested on the roads in the coming weeks.
The pilot project forms part of the European Commission-funded metaCCAZE project, spearheading electric automated transport solutions in cities across Europe. While only a pilot project at this stage, authorities are not ruling out employing the service permanently.
MPT noted that similar projects were underway in nine European cities, including Tampere in Finland and Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
The interior features a departure from the normal bus layout of rows of seating. Photo: MPT.A survey by University of Malta researchers Karyn Scerri and Maria Attard will support the testing of the service, with authorities stressing the importance of gathering information during the trial phase.
The bus is manufactured by French company Navya, forming part of its Autonom Shuttle Evo production line.
The vehicle uses a combination of cameras, GPS, motion sensors, radar and laser mapping technology to navigate its surroundings, according to the Navya website.
Roll-out of the technology was formally announced by Transport Minister Chris Bonett on Wednesday, when he also announced the addition of 40 new electric buses to the public transport fleet.
Plans to test a driverless bus have long been on the cards. Replying to a parliamentary question in 2023, then Transport Minister Aaron Farrugia said tests of such a service would begin “by the start of 2025” — after being slated for imminent roll-out by his predecessor Ian Borg in 2021.