The first Sunderland Advanced Mobility Shuttle (SAMS) has launched in the city, marking a significant milestone in the city’s journey towards self-driving transportation.

The arrival of the Sunderland Advanced Mobility Shuttle (SAMS) in the city

The zero-emission shuttle, based on a Ford E-Transit, will take to the streets this spring, aimed at revolutionising urban mobility and enhancing accessibility for residents and visitors alike.

The SAMS project will trial three self-driving zero-emission autonomous shuttles, designed specifically for SAMS by Aurrigo, which will transport passengers on public roads between Sunderland Interchange, the University of Sunderland City Campus and the Sunderland Royal Hospital. ‘Safety operators’ will always be onboard, but the project will develop and demonstrate a cyber secure remote supervision protocol, an important step towards commercial deployment.

The project is led by Sunderland City Council in partnership with Aurrigo, Stagecoach, Angoka, Newcastle University, Swansea University and Boldyn Networks.

Following the first shuttle’s arrival, the focus now shifts towards operator training, equipping on-board safety attendants with the necessary skills to oversee and manage autonomous operations effectively. This training phase starts in April and underscores Sunderland’s commitment to ensuring the safe and efficient integration of self-driving technology into its transportation ecosystem.

Preparations are also underway to commence the mapping of the route, creating a comprehensive and accurate layout of SAMS’ operational area.

The shuttle will run along an intelligent transport corridor, enabled by 5G small cells which are being installed along the vehicle route by Boldyn Networks.

The project has been awarded £3m by the Government and matched by industry to a total £6m. It’s one of six successful CAM Deployment UK projects from the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) Deployment competition. The grants, which are part of the CCAV’s Connected and Automated Mobility programme, are supported by CCAV, Innovate UK and Zenzic.

Sunderland’s Mayor, councillor Dorothy Trueman, said: “The arrival of SAMS signifies Sunderland and the wider region’s position as a forward-thinking location, leading the way in adopting transformative technologies that enhance the lives of our community members.”

Richard Fairchild, chief operations officer at Aurrigo, added: “With the arrival of the SAMS shuttle, Sunderland is poised to emerge as a trailblazer in the realm of self-driving transportation, setting a precedent for other cities to follow in the quest for smarter, more efficient mobility solutions.”