The South Australian Government has launched a free autonomous bus trial that will deliver a first and last mile service between the Playford Alive Township and the Munno Para Train Station.
Running approximately every half hour on weekdays, the EasyMile EZ10 autonomous electric bus will carry passengers from the Munno Para Railway Station to the Playford Alive Township, including stops at Mark Oliphant College and the Stretton Centre.
The free autonomous shuttle bus service will include a morning and afternoon service window, with passengers collected from designated pick up points on the route.
The Munno Para service is phase two of the Playford Connect autonomous bus trial, following phase one which provided a free park and ride service from the Lionsgate Carpark through to the Lyell McEwin Hospital in Elizabeth Vale from October 2018 to June 2019.
Phase two of the trial is a joint project between the City of Playford, French autonomous vehicle manufacturer EasyMile, local intelligent transport system specialists SAGE Automation and the state government.
Infrastructure Minister Stephan Knoll said the state government is continuing to explore innovative opportunities to provide better public transport services.
“This trial is a great example of how we can embrace new technology to deliver better services and fill gaps that exist in our network,” Mr. Knoll said.
The trial is supported through the Future Mobility Lab Fund.
“This fund aims to encourage and stimulate developments in connected and autonomous vehicles, and position South Australia at the forefront of these emerging technologies,” Mr. Knoll said.
EasyMile ANZ Managing Director Greg Giraud said autonomous vehicles would change passenger transit delivery in the future.
“This trial is a great opportunity to showcase how our technology can provide new mobility solutions and bridge the gap for those first and last miles,” Mr. Giraud said.
“As the project takes place in an open road environment, it is also about understanding how passengers and other road users interact with driverless technology.”
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