MultiCAV
We were involved in this project to bring safe, equitable, accessible and inclusive autonomous transport.
The challenge
The MultiCAV project was funded by Innovate UK and the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV). It aimed to trial connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) as part of a multimodal transport offering accessible via a single journey planning platform.
Milton Park, a large campus-style business park, aimed to increase sustainable travel within the site and reduce car journeys. However, due to the road layout, the site was not suited to full-size buses.
The solution
We were the procuring authority for this project, ensuring that procurement complied with all EU regulations. The vehicle was required to travel at speeds of up to 40mph in a mix of urban and semi-rural settings, creating a complex operational design domain (ODD).
After a successful tender process, we created a three-way contract with Fusion Processing and First Group to run an autonomous minibus service between Didcot Parkway rail station and the Milton Park campus. Fusion Processing provided the autonomous vehicle technology, while First Group acted as the bus operator.
In addition to running the procurement tenders, we provided technical expertise, project management, and liaison with Oxfordshire County Council highways authority to ensure the necessary infrastructure was installed on the selected roads to make the project viable. Mid-project, the scope changed as the funder requested an independent safety review, and we managed this procurement.
This project demonstrated the capabilities and practical application of automated driving technology to local buses, and has helped pave the way for further deployment of autonomous bus services in the UK. The delivery team continues to monitor the market for further opportunities, in line with emerging new enabling legislation.
The results
This project resulted in:
- the first autonomous bus to travel at 40mph
- the first fully electric automated bus in the UK
Oxfordshire served as a real-world living lab, where the bus was tested against realistic road conditions, including potholes and roadside vegetation. The lessons learned will feed into future iterations of autonomous vehicle development.
As an outcome of the project, we identified a need for new specialised guidance and proposed new requirements around the standards for safety operators in autonomous vehicle trials. We worked with the British Standards Institute (BSI) to develop publicly accessible guidance and sit on their CAM Safety Advisory Board.