In May, an autonomous vehicle will be driving around in Darmstadt for the first time. In the months that follow, another 14 vehicles will be added.
Revolution in public transport: In May of this year, a completely new form of mobility will be tested in Darmstadt and in the district of Offenbach. Deutsche Bahn, the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (RMV) and the local partners HEAG mobilo and Kreisverkehrgesellschaft Offenbach (kvgOF) are testing automated shuttles there. These will soon have to be on the road without drivers at normal speed in normal traffic. Such an offer in the context of local public transport is so far unique in the world. The two-year test and implementation phase of the project is made possible by the Federal Ministry of Digital Affairs and Transport (BMDV). A corresponding financing decision of 4 million euros will be transferred to the project partners by Minister Dr. Volker Wissing.
"Especially in rural areas, the demand for more local public transport often reaches its economic limits with little demand. In addition, there will be a shortage of approximately 2030 bus drivers in Germany by 87.000. This combination poses a major problem for us, because we have public transport much needed to meet our climate goals. Self-driving e-shuttles that can be called when needed are therefore a real game changer, especially for rural areas. And best of all, this is not science fiction, but will be from next year be part of the regular public transport offer in our country.”
In May, an autonomous vehicle will be driving around in Darmstadt for the first time. In the months that follow, another 14 vehicles will be added. Eight drive in the Offenbach district, seven in Darmstadt. In the first test phase, all shuttles will set off with specially trained drivers and without passengers. After a successful second test phase with test customers, the vehicles will be integrated into the existing on-demand offers in Darmstadt (“HeinerLiner”) and in the district of Offenbach (“kvgOF Hopper”) and can then be booked by interested parties.
“We are opening a new chapter in local transport. Autonomous vehicles are a huge opportunity to advance the mobility revolution in rural areas as well. We will thoroughly test the new technology so that our passengers feel comfortable and reach their destination safely. Together with our subsidiaries CleverShuttle and ioki, we make local public transport as convenient and flexible as having your own car.”
DB and RMV have been working together since 2020 on Germany's largest on-demand network. Under the umbrella of the RMV, the offerings are available in a total of nine cities and districts. As part of the project, more than 100 on-demand vehicles will be in operation by the end of the year, serving more than 3.000 virtual stops. Due to its size and availability almost 24 hours a day, the on-demand service is a pillar in the region's transport concept. The stated goal of RMV and DB is to win new customers for local public transport through flexible demand-driven transport. This should make an important contribution to the mobility revolution and climate protection.
"More than 400.000 very satisfied passengers, almost two million kilometers traveled and the German Mobility Award 2022 in the Best Practice category speak for themselves: on-demand in RMV is a success story and the ideal complement to bus and train. Autonomous vehicles are a revolution and at the same time a logical next step. Without a driver, the vehicles can be used even more flexibly, which is an advantage, especially in rural areas.”
In addition to RMV and DB, the local transport companies HEAG mobilo and Kreisverkehrgesellschaft Offenbach (kvgOF) are involved in the project for “AI-based regular operation of autonomous transport on demand” (KIRA). The DB subsidiary CleverShuttle operates the autonomous vehicles. The DB subsidiary ioki supplies the software for bookings and route planning. The project partner Mobileye, specialized in autonomous vehicles, supplies the autonomous driving system. The German Aerospace Center (DLR), the Karlsruher Institute of Technology (KIT) and the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV) are also part of the BMDV's funding for the associated research, according to the German railway company.
