The face of urban mobility is changing rapidly, and the lives of commuters and streets around the world are changing with it. A technology which is being tested in different parts of the world is vehicle autonomicity in transport, where driverless vehicles interact with their surroundings and other vehicles and communications infrastructure to improve efficiency and safety on our roads.
The ultimate and fully autonomous vehicle is still being tested in different settings and research is on-going in different disciplines as to its efficacy, social impacts, and environmental gains. This technology has the highest potential in the more sustainable public transport vehicles, notably the electric bus able to carry a larger number of people to and from destinations.
Over 300 autonomous buses are already being tested around the world for their safety, environmental-friendliness, cost-effectiveness, inclusiveness and potential of valuable research. At the same time, technology based on sound research is being developed to reach even higher automation levels and ensure safe deployment in a variety of environments.
Thanks to a collaboration between Transport Malta, Malta Public Transport and the University of Malta through its Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development, we will now have the opportunity to experience this in Malta as well, as early as next year.
“We are excited to bring this innovation to Malta and offer the public a novel concept of transport. We are proud to be teaming up together to share knowledge and build a comprehensive offering in line with the National Transport Strategy 2050”, said Mr Joseph Borg, Chairman and CEO of Transport Malta.
On Friday 14 May 2021, in the presence of the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects, Hon. Ian Borg, and Minister for Education, Hon. Justyne Caruana, the three entities met to officially initiate this collaboration, which will see the promotion and support research on Autonomous Buses, and the testing of these vehicles on the Maltese Islands.
“Our global public transport group is already running a similar programme in Madrid”, pointed out Mr Konrad Pulé, General Manager at the Malta Public Transport, adding that the Malta project will assess the technology and operations in relation with the specific local needs and conditions.
Malta Public Transport already forms part of an international group of companies that operate autonomous buses as part of its network in Madrid, Spain. Autonomous buses in Malta will be integrated with the rest of Malta’s transport network and will be operated on a number of specific test routes, including the University of Malta, the Ta’ Qali Family Park, Valletta and Smart City, Kalkara.
Prof. Maria Attard, the Director of the University’s Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development, will coordinate this multi-disciplinary project across the various entities within the University and disseminate the research outputs to the wider network of researchers currently working in this field.
Her involvement in established international networks will support the project. The value of this collaboration lies in the important roles of each of the three parties, capturing both the operational and regulatory side of public transport in Malta. Malta Public Transport being the owner and operator of the islands’ bus concession with extensive experience in many aspects of public transport, and Transport Malta being the regulatory authority for transport, including the legal and safety obligations of public transport. This project aims to provide a platform for academic and technical research into this new technology which explores the potential of Artificial Intelligence in transport.
University Rector, Prof. Alfred J. Vella said the implications of this collaboration are considerable. With Malta’s size and high population density resulting in much traffic and pollution, reaping the benefits of this revolutionary technology has been a question of not if, but when, for a while now. “The University’s engagement with the Ministries present and Transport Malta as well as Malta Public Transport is an example of how cooperation between all relevant stakeholders optimises conditions for achieving results more quickly and effectively for the benefit of our entire community”, he said.
Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects, Hon. Ian Borg, said this technology is a safe option, in the sense that it eliminates the possibility of human error, which accounts for 90% of traffic accidents in Malta.