The KIRA project for autonomous public transport is now operating with passengers for the first time. Customers can book and use shuttles in the city of Langen and the municipality of Egelsbach in the Offenbach district. To do so, they must register as test users and use the dedicated KIRA app. The service is expected to expand to parts of Darmstadt in the second half of the year.
KIRA is the first project in Germany to test autonomous vehicles for public transport at automation Level 4 with passengers. Level 4 means that a vehicle can drive autonomously – i.e. without a driver – within a defined area. The initiative is led by German Railways (Deutsche Bahn) and the Rhein-Main Transport Association (RMV).
A total of six vehicles are operating in the service areas of regional partners HEAG mobilo and Kreisverkehrsgesellschaft Offenbach (kvgOF). They drive in regular traffic at speeds of up to 130 km/h. All driving decisions are made by the vehicle. During the pilot phase, a safety driver is always on board and the vehicles’ driving behaviour is monitored by technical personnel in a control centre.
Autonomous on-demand services make public transport more flexible and attractive. These shuttles are booked as needed and are especially valuable in suburban and rural areas. In the RMV region, on-demand shuttles with human drivers are already operating in ten areas. In the future, driverless shuttles could fill gaps during off-peak times or in less densely populated regions. When combined with other transport modes, seamless door-to-door mobility can be achieved that is just as flexible as a private car.
Deutsche Bahn Regio Bus Mitte operates the autonomous vehicles while their subsidiary ioki provides booking and routing software and integrates technology from various partners. Mobileye contributes self-driving technology, HD maps, and specialised sensors. It is supported by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Transport (BMV) and the state of Hesse. Research partners include German Aerospace Centre, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, and the Association of German Transport Companies. The pilot runs until the end of 2025, with an extension planned.
Author: Claus Köllinger
Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not reflect those of the European Commission.
