Towards safer, sustainable cities: launch of SHOW project marks major milestone for automated transport

A major milestone for automated vehicles (AVs) was reached last week with the launch of theSHOW (SHared automation Operating models for Worldwide adoption)project. Coordinated by UITP, SHOW brings together69 partners from 13 EU countriestosupport the deployment of shared, connected and electrified automation in urban transport across a four-year period.

SHOW is thebiggest ever project piloting AVs in urban environments, with over 20 cities hosting demonstrations. The project has a budget of €36 million.

The arrival of AVs represents aunique opportunityfor a fundamental change in urban mobility. That is,when AVs are integrated into an integrated public transport network. If AVs are put to use inshared fleets, they could dramatically reduce the number of cars on the road by reaching people and places it was too difficult to before, plugging first/last-mile gaps and feeding into public transport trunk lines.

With exactly this in mind, in 2018 UITP launched theSPACE project,which joins over 55 UITP members toplace public transport at the centre of the AV revolution.

Now, SHOW aims to further support the transition towards seamless and safe sustainable mobility by promoting automated transport. The H2020 project will look at different aspects of AVs and how they canbest contribute to sustainable mobility:for example,how can we guarantee that users will accept the arrival of AVs? What are the legal, operational and ethical limitations of AVs? And what are viable business models regarding AVs?

These (and many other!) questions will be answered through setting up demonstration fleets in urban and peri-urban traffic environments. SHOWwill seereal-life urban demonstrations taking place in 20 cities across Europe, in which – alongside transport – other industries such as telecom and IT will be involved. And SHOW goesbeyond EU-borders, as twinning actions are planned with 11 organisations from the US, South Korea, Australia, China, Taiwan and Singapore.

UITP has led the way on autonomous vehicles, with the release of the Policy Brief “Autonomous Vehicles: a potential game changer for urban mobility” in January 2017 setting out the strength, opportunities and weaknesses of AVs as the debate began to take shape.

Read more in our official Press Release!

The SHOW project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 875530