Experiences of the safety operator role in the MultiCAV project

Flower, Jonathan; Calvert, Thomas; Parkhurst, Graham

Abstract

The MultiCAV research and development project, co-funded by Innovate UK and the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV), was established to deliver sustainable transport services in a ‘Mobility as a Service’ environment. The centrepiece of the project was a series of three phases of electric autonomous bus service trials, first operating on public roads within Milton Park Technology and Science Park, Didcot (Oxfordshire) and later linking to Didcot Parkway railway station. The demonstration services took place in 2023 and were branded to the public as part of the Mi-Link1 suite of transport services. The project was conducted by a consortium which brought together First Bus as lead, Milton Park, Oxfordshire County Council, Nova Modus, Fusion Processing2, Zipabout, and the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol). The report examines the experiences of the safety operators involved in crewing the MultiCAV Project’s Mi-Link demonstration Services 001 and 002. It considers the selection, specialist training and on-road operation of an automated electric minibus, a type-approved Public Service Vehicle. These were first-of-a-kind activities in the UK.

• Report Type: Project Report
• Online Publication Date: Mar 29, 2024
• Publication Date: Mar 29, 2024
• Deposit Date: Mar 29, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: May 15, 2024
• Pages: 35
• Keywords: Bus Services; Automated Vehicles; Safety Operator; Sustainable Mobility
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/11866273
• Publisher URL: https://www.mi-link.uk/