The use of self-driving shuttle buses is to be tested in and around Köthen. Researchers from the Anhalt University of Applied Sciences and the Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg have started taking measurements, as the Anhalt University of Applied Sciences announced on Tuesday.

The first important data should be recorded by the end of March - such as the road width, the number of lanes and the current public transport offer. Data about the weather and the mobile network should also be evaluated. The main purpose of the research is to provide information on how such buses affect the CO2 balance and whether it makes sense to open up new residential areas with them.

Using the example of the city of Köthen, recommendations for the use of self-driving buses are to be developed. The results should be able to be used by municipalities and transport companies for better planning.

The project "Evaluation model for the use of automated shuttle buses based on open data" is being funded by the Federal Ministry of Transport with around 100,000 euros and will run until September 2023. In Germany, there have been projects in many municipalities for several years in which the use of autonomous shuttle buses is being tested .

Announcement autonomous shuttle bus projects in Germany