NAVYA has announced a partnership with Keolis, with the support of Lyon’s Metropole, to trial the first electric, driverless and 100% autonomous public transport vehicle. 

The NAVYA ARMA, the first driverless bus of it's kind, started carrying passengers last weekend. The bus runs a path of 1300 meters and is composed of five stops and three intermediary stops allowing to serve the different buildings of Lyon's Confluence district. 

The path is free of road lights, crosswalk and intersections. With an average speed of 15km/h, the duration of a rotation will be of 13 minutes and 30 seconds.

Christophe Sapet, Chief Executive, Navya, said: “They [the buses] are equipped with a range of detectors that allow them to know exactly where they are and to detect everything happening around them and to manage it intelligently to avoid collisions.”

The trial is taking place in the Confluence district of Lyon. Confluence is the new south-district of the second borough of Lyon, located at the end of Lyon’s peninsula, next to the confluence of the Rhône and the Saône. 

Confluence has been recognised as an eco-friendly district by the french government, sustainable district by WWF and has acquired the european label Concerto, for the low energetic consumption of the buildings.

Each minibus, costing about £170,000, is equipped with lasers, cameras and electronic systems that detect and analyse any movement around it.

Navya has taken about 30 orders for the vehicles and plans to develop larger buses able to carry 20 passengers.