EMBRACER self-driving bus at two major events in Lithuania!
The project partner Municipal Enterprise "Susisiekimo paslaugos" (JUDU) at end of September officially started the testing of the autonomous public transport bus funded by the Interreg Europe Programme within EMBRACER. During the test, lasting until the 23rd of November, the effectiveness of the bus in the city‘s public transport system will be evaluated.
In the meantime, the initiative has raised a lot of enthusiasm in the city both at an institutional level and among the citizens who happily use the bus for their journeys.
Recently, the bus was presented at two important public events in Lithuania related to the world of sustainable mobility and transport.
On September 19, in Kaunas (Lithuania's second-largest city), the second "Sustainable Mobility Conference", organized by the Lithuanian Ministry of Transport and Communications, gathered representatives from municipalities, various commissions, urban planning experts, and other sector specialists to share information, exchange data, experiences, and ideas about the current state of mobility. Jonas Damidavičius, the Mobility Transformation Manager at JUDU, gave a presentation titled "Autonomous Public Transport: Opportunities and Challenges." According to Damidavičius, Vilnius has become the first Lithuanian city to test autonomous public transport in real conditions. He highlighted that the trial would focus on observing the autonomous bus’s operation on city streets frequented by pedestrians and within zones with variable speed limits and high traffic density. They will monitor how the autonomous bus integrates into traffic, handles challenges when encountering large numbers of people, navigates its surroundings, and maneuvers near pedestrians, fountains, and similar features. Finally, Damidavičius noted, "We will assess whether such transport can be planned as part of the overall public transport system."
On 9-10 October, for the sixth time, the Transport Innovation Association together with the Ministry of Transport and Communications organised one of the most important events in the Baltic States for logistics and transport managers and professionals, the TRANSPORT INNOVATION FORUM, that took place at the Lithuanian Exhibition and Congress Centre LITEXPO in Vilnius, Lithuania.
The TRANSPORT INNOVATION FORUM is a place where leaders from governments, businesses, research organizations and start-ups come together to share insights, exchange ideas and collaborate on shaping the future of the sector, so that resilience is not just a response to challenges, but rather a foundation for success in an ever-changing environment of transport, logistics and urban mobility.
The self-driving bus, called “paJUDAM” in Lithuanian, that is "Let‘s Move“ in English, was presented and showed to participants.
The event was opened by Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė and Minister of Transport Marius Skuodis. Attendees had the opportunity to sit inside the bus and speak with project representatives, including the EMBRACER pilot project manager, supplier and manufacturer representatives, and the bus operator.
Innovation Minister Aušra Armonaitė mentioned in her remarks seeing great potential for autonomous vehicles in Lithuania.
Participants asked about the operation principles of the autonomous bus, its manufacturer, service provider in Vilnius, route selection criteria, and the challenges and issues faced. They were also interested in the legal regulations surrounding this type of transport in Lithuania. Many were curious about the likelihood of city authorities developing a public transport service using autonomous buses in the future.
Lithuanian Railways showed particular interest in the bus and autonomous vehicles overall, as they are already considering the potential use of autonomous drones for inspections of rail stops from above.
Watch the self-driving bus at the TRANSPORT INNOVATION FORUM!