SOLIHULL’S driverless vehicles have been handed a top award.
The Council-led work behind the project to bring greener and efficient by using autonomous vehicles to residents was given an award by the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT).
This included work on the current shuttle bus trial at Birmingham Airport and last year’s trial at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC).
Solihull Council picked up the top award in the Delivering Clean Growth category which was presented by Baroness Vere, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport.
Commenting on Solihull’s winning entry the judges said that not only did this project address all the criteria but that it was also applicable to others and provides opportunities for greater learning.
Last year, Solihull Council became the first local authority in the country to purchase its own fully electric autonomous shuttle using money from the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP).
Designed and manufactured by Coventry’s Aurrigo, the futuristic looking Auto-Shuttle can carry up to ten passengers and uses a suite of sensors, including LiDAR, to understand its surroundings and move around safely.
The Council said it will continue to work with other organisations in its programme of self-driving transport development.
Councillor Ken Hawkins, cabinet member for Environment and Infrastructure, said: “We are leading the way in Solihull, regionally and across the UK by providing real world evidence of how this technology can be used in different settings and scenarios.
“It’s fantastic to be recognised for the truly pioneering work we are doing in this area.
“Winning this award, especially in such a strong field up against so many other brilliant projects, is testament to the hard work of our project team and our partners who are helping us to deliver it.”
