A brand new driverless bus is coming to Inverness – but transport officials want you to vote on what it will be called.
Last month a competition was launched by the Press & Journal to gather potential names for the autonomous vehicle, and now a shortlist has been selected.
The winners (and runners-up) will all be receiving smart tech of their own as a prize, but first, the public must vote for which name they like the most.
Take our poll…
How does the self-driving bus work?
The French-designed Navya electric vehicle will soon be shuttling students and staff between Inverness Campus and Inverness Retail Park at 15mph.
With no steering wheel, driver’s seat or brake pedals, there are just two ways that the Inverness driverless bus can move.
The first is done by an onboard computer whereby the bus is controlled autonomously by a satellite navigation system.
This uses sensors on the vehicle which propel it forward and pull it to a stop when it detects obstacles.
The second way is in manual mode which involves a human operator and an Xbox controller.
But whether it’s driving autonomously or not, under current UK rules a driver must always be on board ready to take over in an emergency.
What does the winner get as a prize?
The four finalists have been chosen from more than 200 submitted entries.
Smart technology will be given away to the winner and runners-up.
- 1st prize: FLYMO EasiLife Robot Lawn Mower
- 2nd prize: EUFY Robot Vacuum Cleaner
- 3rd prize: Smart Speaker
Who’s behind the Inverness driverless bus scheme?
The Highlands & Islands transport partnership (Hitrans) secured EU funding of nearly £150,000 to lease the self-driving vehicle until spring.
Project and policy manager Jayne Golding said: “We’ve received a fantastic response to our naming competition with some great ideas submitted – thank you to everyone who got involved.
“We will be selecting our winners and announcing the result shortly so watch this space.”
Hitrans are being supported by Stagecoach Highland to find out how driverless vehicles can be integrated into the region’s public transport system.
Conversation