RDM Group to investigate autonomous transport for Cambridge

The Coventry-based autonomous vehicle company will work with Cambridgeshire County Council and the Wellcome Genome Campus to deliver a £250,000 investigation into the business case for a future £3m - £5m self-driving shuttle service across two routes connecting sites in Cambridge with other transport options.

Part funded by Innovate UK, the company will utilise their four and eight-seater Pod Zero and evaluate the design and manufacture of larger shuttles of up to fifteen seats.

Areas under examination are an existed guided busway at Trumpington Park, which serves the Cambridge Biomedical Park, whilst the second will be a driverless shuttle service between the Wellcome Genome Campus and Whittlesford Parkway Railway Station on a new off-road pathway.

Dr Richard Fairchild, director of Connected and Autonomous Mobility Programmes for RDM Group said: "Self-driving vehicles are a flexible, responsive, transport service that operates in conjunction with existing train, bus and park and ride services that can make a real impact, improving mobility around Cambridge by reducing congestion and providing first and last mile travel options.