Open Menu
Geneva – Self-driving buses will be tested in major urban areas as part of the EU project AVENUE. Led by the University of Geneva, the project will develop concrete recommendations. Geneva is also one of the cities where the vehicles will be tested.

The EU Commission is investing €22 million into the 4-year AVENUE project. Its aim is to test self-driving buses in urban and suburban areas while at the same time develop new business models capable of integrating the buses into the conventional public transport network. 

Sixteen partners are participating in the project, including academic institutions, public transport operators, and autonomous vehicle manufacturers. Also on board are the University of Geneva, the canton’s public transport authorities (TPG), the city of Geneva, and two startups from Western Switzerland: BestMile and MobileThinking.

Geneva aspires to position itself “as a centre of excellence in the field of autonomous vehicles”, Luc Barthassat, State Councillor in charge of the department of environment, transport and agriculture, said in a statement.

Pilot programs will be carried out with fleets of small buses, developed by project partner Navya, in areas with low to medium demand, beginning with four European cities: Geneva, Lyon, Copenhagen and Luxembourg.

According to Denis Berdoz, CEO of TPG, autonomous vehicles are especially suitable for suburban areas with little or no service today, where they can be used to connect the areas to the traditional public transport network. 

But the project’s aspirations go well beyond simply integrating these buses into an existing local public transport timetable; they should also be able to respond to the mobility needs of a city and its inhabitants of all age groups in a smart and flexible manner. For instance, passengers should be able to book their trip from their smartphone, and vehicles could offer services like augmented reality solutions on their windows.