2getthere is to set up an autonomous shuttle service at Brussels Airport, also known as Zaventem Airport. The Brussels Airport Autonomous Shuttle will fully autonomously transport travellers on public roads between the airport and parking facilities. This will make Zaventem the first European airport to deploy autonomous shuttles on public roads.
Utrecht-based 2getthere is a company with extensive experience in the field of electronically guided autonomous vehicles. Vehicles from the company have been operating on line 500 between Rotterdam's Kralingse Zoom metro station and the Rivium business park since 1999. Every day, an estimated 2,400 passengers use the shuttles on this line, also known as the ParkShuttle line.
Transporting passengers on public roads
The company is using this experience to provide autonomous shuttles to Brussels Airport. The shuttles will run on public roads between the airport and parking facilities at Brucargo, the cargo area at the Brussels airport. These parking facilities are some distance away from the terminal itself, requiring transport between locations.
The vehicles will run between regular traffic on this route. This will make 2getthere's shuttles the first autonomous vehicles allowed to participate in traffic on public roads in Belgium. "As an intermodal hub where multiple forms of transport are seamlessly connected, Brussels Airport is continuously studying new opportunities to expand this hub in a sustainable way. This technologically innovative project rolling out a self-driving electric bus operating on a fixed route is in line with our commitment to minimise the impact on our environment," said Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport Company.
Operational from 2021
The project will start in the near future and consists of two phases. In the first phase, the technology will be developed and tested in different weather conditions and traffic situations. The first tests will be carried out by 2getthere in Utrecht from autumn 2019. The first tests at Zaventem airport will start from 2020 and will be carried out at Brucargo.
If this phase is successfully completed, the shuttles could be rolled out at the airport from 2021.
ParkShuttle line and Nanyang Technological University
The agreement with Brussels Airport is the third deal 2getthere has announced in recent months. Earlier, it was announced that the ParkShuttle line will be expanded, for which 2getthere has signed an agreement with the municipality of Capelle aan den IJssel. The company will supply six new shuttles for the line, capable of carrying 500 passengers per hour in both directions. These are Group Rapid Transit (GRT) vehicles deployed, which can carry 16 to 24 passengers depending on their configuration. The concession has been outsourced to transport company Connexxion until 2033.
In addition, the company announced this month that it will team up with Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore) and SMRT Services to roll out its GRT vehicles at the NTU Smart Campus. The autonomous vehicles will be deployed on campus from 2019 and will be integrated into the university's existing transport network. The shuttles will be tested at the NTU Smart Campus from the last quarter of 2018.
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
Source: 2getthere (pictured)
