Since the beginning of last year, Berlin’s little yellow driverless buses have been running several routes through Alt-Tegel, after a six-month testing phase in 2019. Now, the Berlin Senate wants to expand the “Shuttle & Co.” network in the capital.

Berlin’s highly autonomous bus network to be expanded

Back in February last year, the Berlin transport association, the BVG, reintroduced the cute driverless buses that the people in the German capital have come to love. The buses are not fully autonomous, but are highly automated vehicles, meaning that they drive along a pre-programmed route. An assistant is always on standby to take over and drive the bus, should it encounter any obstacles along the way.

The buses operate under the “Shuttle & Co.” moniker and are currently running routes through Alt-Tegel. Now, the Senate want to expand the buses’ network to Siemensstadt, Gartenfeld Island and Waterkant in Spandau. The buses will also expand their public transport services to Reinickendorf, where the Urban Tech Republic, a new business and tech hub, is being built on the site of Berlin’s old, decommissioned airport.

Funding application underway

A consortium is now in the process of submitting a funding application to the federal government, with the BVG, Siemans and several other organisations involved. "The development of Siemensstadt and the Urban Tech Republic will give the entire north-west of Berlin a big boost in the coming years," said deputy-mayor and Senator for Economic Affairs Ramona Pop (Greens). "By supporting the mobility of tomorrow, we can set new growth impulses for our economy."