A brand new autonomous bus has arrived in Malta, marking the start of a structured testing phase of at least six months. The vehicle will be tested on routes in Malta and Gozo, as part of a pilot led locally by Malta Public Transport, the Ministry for Transport, Infrastructure and Public Works and the University of Malta as part of the metaCCAZE project. The project aims to explore the future of intelligent and autonomous mobility on the island.
The pilot project will assess the performance of the autonmous bus on carefully selected, pre-approved routes that will begin operating in June this year. Designed to carry up to 15 people, the vehicle will begin operations through a phased rollout, starting with controlled trials, before the route officially opens for public use.
Safety is central to the pilot design. A trained safety operator will be on board at all times during testing, with the ability to take immediate control whenever required. The trial will follow a defined safety and authorisation process, in line with a stringent new regulatory framework published by Transport Malta. Continuous monitoring and data collection will allow for a system and service performance evaluation.
The pilot in Gozo and Malta, is part of the metaCCAZE project, co-funded by the European Union through the Horizon Europe programme. metaCCAZE aims to revolutionise mobility in European cities, serving both passengers and freight, with innovative electric, automated, and connected solutions designed to make transport smarter, net zero, and more efficient for all. Other innovative pilots have been launched in nine other European cities, including Tampere (Finland), and Amsterdam (the Netherlands).
metaCCAZE is a Horizon Europe project supported by the European Commission under grant agreement No 101139678. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. metaCCAZE is a project under the CIVITAS Initiative, an EU funded programme working to make sustainable and smart mobility a reality for all, and contributes to the goals of the EU Mission Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities.
