A joint pilot action (JPA) would test on the ground an 8-seat L3 autonomous electric shuttle (AES) service for improving the transport connectivity of suburban areas in Vilnius and for accessing public transport stops to enable users traveling further afield. Following a preliminary analysis of this new practice supported by local stakeholders, partners found that roads in three pre-selected suburban areas of Vilnius were too narrow to accommodate conventional buses and that local residents usually relied on private car use to drop off children at local schools or to travel to their workplaces, due to the large distance between their place of living and the nearest bus stop. This JPA aims to test the viability of an AES service to escort children to/from local schools and connect adults to/from bus stops located outside of their walking reach. 

AES would be tested on 3-4 km closed-loop segregated routes operating between 7am-7pm; cruising would be regular, e.g., three-times per hour in the first half of the day (during school time), and four-times after-school extra-curricular activities. The AES would also benefit adults by connecting them to local public transport stops, both during peak and off-peak hours to enable them to commute to workplaces/education establishments, to run errands and visit healthcare and leisure destinations). Cruising routes would be designed to best connect with at least two public transport stops.

PP09 intends to test the relevance of the AES service for its permanent inclusion, in a scaled-up version, within the partner’s Policy Instrument, by exploring, during the preparatory, design and evaluation phases, aspects such as the vehicle model selection criteria; the impact of adverse weather conditions, poor visibility, and street layout on route selection; infrastructure requirements; testing optimal charging/routes; operational costs; residents’ attitude and safety implications towards using AES; time-saving to reach the destination;  evaluation of societal benefits for different user groups such as vulnerable users (disabled, elderly, etc.).

In mid-August 2024, Vilnius partner signed an AES renting and service contract with a Finnish company. The testing opening has been planned on 23 September. Passenger driving service will be carried in Užupis district of the city of Vilnius.

More information are available here: https://judu.lt/embracer/