UK’s first electric autonomous bus route takes to public roads
UK’s first electric autonomous bus route takes to public roads
Mi-Link trial offers emissions-free travel between Milton Park and Didcot Parkway Station
- Enhanced service connecting key local transport hub with Milton Park
- Only all-electric autonomous bus service in the country
- Hundreds of journeys per week expected on 6-mile round trip
- 15-seat fully accessible bus has a safety driver on board at all times
The UK’s first ever fully electric, autonomous bus route will now connect Milton Park – a leading science and technology community in Oxfordshire – with Didcot Parkway train station via a 2.3-mile route on public roads.
Following a successful trial earlier this year – which marked a UK-first in the future of sustainable transport and mobility – the second phase of the extended autonomous route will launch on 12 June 2023.
The second trial will allow residents and 9,000 employees spanning Milton Park’s 270 companies to benefit from zero-emissions travel for free.
Operated by First Bus and running every 40 minutes – from 7am to 6.30pm, Monday to Saturday – the bus will follow a dedicated route between Milton Park and the station, stopping at key locations, including the Bee House, the Innovation Centre and the Milton Feast street food market area.
Using cutting-edge technology, the Mi-Link 15-seat minibus utilises Fusion Processing Ltd’s CAVstar® Automated Drive System. The vehicle is also equipped with a range of sensors including radar, LiDAR and AI to control steering, acceleration and braking without the need for human intervention.
Funded through the UK Department for Transport’s Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) through Innovate UK, Mi-Link is the culmination of a five-year consortium partnership between First Bus, Fusion Processing Ltd, Oxfordshire County Council, University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) and Zipabout, with Milton Park as the host location.
The service, which is fully accessible for wheelchair and pram users, will be overseen by a qualified safety driver, who will be on board and able to take control of the vehicle, if required.
Passengers can receive real-time updates on the service’s operation times by scanning the QR code at bus stops at Didcot Parkway and Milton Park, or by visiting the online Zipabout journey planner.
Veronica Reynolds, Sustainability and Community Manager at Milton Park, said: “The Mi-Link project, which also includes a fleet of free electric hire bikes, is intended to reduce the amount of car trips that occur within Milton Park.
“This trial service is set to complement the 4,400 existing bus journeys that are taken weekly between the Park and Didcot Parkway train station. This is in addition to the Park’s rising levels of bus passengers which have almost doubled since 2019, with single occupancy car usage falling by 12% since 2021.
“As an innovation community committed to increasing the accessibility of sustainable travel, we’re thrilled that Milton Park was selected as the host location for the Mi-Link project, and can’t wait to see the full results of these landmark trials later in the year.”
Philip Campbell, Commercial Director at MEPC Milton Park, said: “Milton Park is well known as an innovation and technology cluster, and through the Mi-Link project and drone delivery trials last year, we are proud to be a test bed for emerging technologies in transport.
“Those visiting the Park will be able to take an electric train from London to Didcot, utilise pioneering electric autonomous bus travel, before seeing game-changing breakthroughs happening day-in-day-out from the Park’s occupiers.”
During their journey, passengers may be asked to fill out a short survey as part of the research being carried out by UWE to better understand people’s experiences of the new travel options and how the new technologies can benefit the wider public.
Passengers with a Milton Park subsidised bus pass can also aid the UWE research by tapping on and off with their pass to record usage levels.
For more information, please visit: www.miltonpark.com/mi-link-autonomous-bus/
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Press contact
Jake Setterfield | Jakesetterfield@meeting-place.uk
About Milton Park
Milton Park is a leading science and technology community in Oxfordshire and one of the largest in Europe. It is a collaborative working environment and a welcoming community that fuels innovation and sustainable growth for more than 270 companies and 9,000 people.
With three million sq ft (278,709 sq m) of offices, laboratories and warehouses and 25+ amenities, Milton Park is in 214 acres of ownership, of which 43 acres is open and landscaped space with water shrubs, grass and trees.
Its primary responsibility is to its customers with a duty to create a home for dynamic companies, small or large, thanks to an inspiring landscape, unrivalled connectivity and welcome humanity.
It facilitates life-changing discoveries and conversations between companies, local and national government, research, academia, education, local residents and all relevant stakeholders.
By managing the buildings and infrastructure in sustainable ways, the environment is enhanced, and flexibility is given for each company to realise its full potential.
Milton Park provides a place where collaboration and the fusion of ideas can flourish and talent can thrive. Social and cultural life are integral to Milton Park. As a member of the community, people can enjoy its many amenities and events.
About MEPC
MEPC provides long term stewardship and creates transformational places with the future in mind. Its expertise lies in urban regeneration and facilitating the growth of science, business, and technology companies on its estates – giving rise to exceptional places that grow and evolve over time. Its track record is second to none.
Across MEPC’s UK park and urban portfolio, MEPC provides workspace for more than 350 organisations and 15,000 people over four million sq ft.
First Bus
First Bus is one of the UK’s largest bus operators. Making journeys easier for our customers, we were the first national bus operator to accept contactless card payments across all of our services and our First Bus App is voted ‘best in class’ amongst UK bus operators. Our most recent investments are in new, state-of-the-art buses across our key networks.
We work proactively with our local authority partners, making a positive impact on air quality, tackling congestion and improving customer experience. We are focused on First Bus becoming a leader in the transition to a low-carbon future and are committed to operating a zero-emission bus fleet by 2035; we have pledged not to purchase any new diesel buses after December 2022. We also operate the Aircoach network in Ireland. First Bus is a division of FirstGroup.
Oxfordshire County Council
Oxfordshire County Council is the local authority for Oxfordshire and is responsible for transport planning and policy, roads, schools, social services, the fire service, libraries, the museums services, trading standards, land use and waste management. OCC is an enabler, advisor and partner in several externally-funded connected and automated vehicle (CAV) projects having been the first local authority to name CAVs in our transport and planning policies in LTP4. As the highways authority responsible for roads, any organisations undertaking CAV trials need to engage with us, and we have streamlined this process to reduce uncertainty and assure safety.
Connected and automated vehicles (CAV) trials | Oxfordshire County Council
Fusion Processing
Fusion Processing was founded in 2012 to design and build advanced systems for the automation of vehicles, and technology to improve vehicle safety. World leaders in automated driving systems, situational awareness and control systems technology, Fusion Processing’s products have clocked up over 2 million kilometres of service.
Innovations include CAVstar® a full level 4 capable automated drive system, and CycleEyeCMS, a mirror replacement system for buses and trucks, designed and developed in house at their Bristol, UK headquarters. With numerous vehicles taking part in technology trials and commercial operations today, Fusion is driving road safety and enabling a new generation of autonomous vehicle systems that are set to transform the automotive industry.
Zipabout
Zipabout transforms the journey experience, empowering passengers on any transport mode to travel with confidence thanks to the pioneering use of personalised information services. Our technology creates a unique direct relationship between transport provider and passenger, enabling the delivery of real-time information tailored to individual passenger needs, as well as incentives and rewards to encourage sustainable behavioural change. We partner with government to tackle today’s transport challenges (safety, accessibility, sustainability, demand) and provide insight into transport system demand and the ways in which people use it.
Centre for Transport & Society, UWE Bristol
CTS is an interdisciplinary centre of excellence in academic research on mobility, travel behaviour, transport policy analysis and technological change in the transport sector. CTS’s overarching objective is to improve and promote understanding of the interlinkages between lifestyles and personal travel in the context of social, political and technological change. Our work is relevant to all modes of transport including walking. Whilst in the early years of the Centre our work focussed mainly on personal mobility, we also have growing niches of expertise in respect of freight mobility. CTS has a strong track record working in partnership with industry and the public sector, including several collaborative projects on the theme of autonomous road transport.
