A stakeholder and citizen workshop on autonomous on-demand e-buses was organised recently by the Institute for Climate Change and Sustainable Development from the University of Malta, in collaboration with the Ministry for Transport, Infrastructure and Public Works and Malta Public Transport.

The workshop was held as part of the Horizon Europe MetaCCAZE project and aimed to gather feedback on the testing and future implementation of an autonomous, on-demand e-bus demonstration in Malta and Gozo.

The Institute explained that the goal was to “fine-tune” the use case and the BIGM (Business, Innovation, Governance, and Mobility) framework, with the aim of completing the project fact sheet – a key step in aligning the service with national priorities and stakeholder expectations.

During the presentation, various stakeholders, including citizens representatives, the business community and transport professionals, expressed their thoughts and enthusiasm about the use of autonomous buses.

They also explored the concept and concerns in relation to an autonomous on-demand service whilst providing recommendations for implementation, potential usage, such as suitable locations, effective ways to reach out to the public, and ideal scheduling.

The Living Lab in Gozo and Malta said that it is dedicated to advancing sustainable mobility initiatives within the EU’s Horizon framework. As part of the metaCCAZE project, Malta is exploring ways to transition towards greener, smarter transport systems that are more aligned with climate-neutral goals.

By participating in this initiative, it said that Malta aims to gain insights from leading European cities on clean and connected mobility solutions.

Photo: University of Malta

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