The Street Connected and Autonomous Vehicles project is being spearheaded by Milton Keynes City Council and Smart City Consultancy, alongside other partners. The trial will see fully accessible autonomous vehicles transporting up to eight passengers around the city centre, with multiple pick-up and drop-off points.
The mapping process is now underway, with vehicles initially being driven between Unity Place and Midsummer Place to collect vital data for the planned shuttle routes. Once this phase is complete, passengers will have the chance to experience the shuttles for free on city centre roads, potentially as early as February. If successful, the trial could serve as a model for deploying shuttles in other regions across the country.
“We are dedicated to exploring innovative transport solutions that benefit both residents and visitors while inspiring sustainable city initiatives worldwide. It’s fantastic to have brought together industry-leading partners for this groundbreaking project. I’m eager to hear about people’s experiences once they try out the shuttles.”
- Cllr Shanika Mahendran, Cabinet Member for Economy, Sustainability, and Innovation
The shuttles, provided by Ohmio, which recently established its UK headquarters in Milton Keynes, are specifically designed to operate in city centre environments at low speeds (under 15mph). These vehicles will be monitored and managed remotely from a new city centre control room. During the initial phase of the trial, each vehicle will have a fully trained safety operator on board, ready to take over if necessary.
The project has already created around 15 high-tech jobs in Milton Keynes, including roles for several local graduates from Cranfield University.
“This is a major milestone for Ohmio and Milton Keynes. The mapping process will determine the shuttle routes and ensure they operate safely within their designated paths—essentially creating virtual tracks for the vehicles to follow.”
- Ian Pulford, UK Director, Ohmio
