Swedish commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania and Nobina, the largest public transport operator in the Nordic countries, have announced that they will work together to begin trials of autonomous buses on regular routes in the Stockholm, Sweden area.

The trials will be conducted in two stages: first without passengers, and then with passengers. The buses will have a safety-driver onboard throughout the trials to monitor operations and help passengers.

“The technology is now sufficiently mature to initiate trials in actual bus operations on public roads, making the project one of the first of its kind in Europe with buses this size,” explains Karin Rådström, head of Buses and Coaches, Scania.

“The project will provide a wealth of information in the further development of large autonomous buses before a full-scale introduction.”

Henrik Dagnäs, managing director, Nobina Sweden, adds, “these trials will provide a great deal of insight and experience going forward concerning the practical everyday aspects of managing and operating autonomous buses and enabling more people to travel by public transport.”

​According to Scania and Nobina, two Scania Citywide LF electric buses will connect Barkarby—a rapidly expanding new residential area that isn’t too far from downtown Stockholm—with a nearby metro station.

The buses will operate along a new dedicated five-kilometer route with four stops. Initially, approximately one kilometer is planned to be driven autonomously. During the second phase of the trials, approximately 300 passengers are expected to make daily use of the service.

Scania and Nobina note that they will jointly manage traffic and control systems for the autonomous buses.

The development project has begun, and the trial period is expected to begin in 2020. Data on a variety of things—including average speeds, uptime, on-time performance, deviation response and passenger satisfaction—will be collected throughout the trials.