FLEX electric driverless shuttle operating in Australia

A driverless public electric shuttle is operating around South Australia’s Tonsley Innovation District as part of a trial set to include public roads. The five-year project, valued at AU$4m (£2.2m), is intended to build public acceptance of the technology. Initially, the Navya Arma Flinders Express (FLEX) shuttle will offer first mile-last mile services between the Clovelly Park train station and Tonsley main assembly building, then connections to bus stops on the main South Road and businesses within th
June 25, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
A driverless public electric shuttle is operating around South Australia’s Tonsley Innovation District as part of a trial set to include public roads. The five-year project, valued at AU$4m (£2.2m), is intended to build public acceptance of the technology.


Initially, the 8379 Navya Arma Flinders Express (FLEX) shuttle will offer first mile-last mile services between the Clovelly Park train station and Tonsley main assembly building, then connections to bus stops on the main South Road and businesses within the Tonsley precinct.

Commuters arriving at Tonsley by bus or train can book a journey on Flinders %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external website false https://www.flinders.edu.au/flex-bus false false%>.

The intention is to extend FLEX within a year to include the Flinders Medical Centre and Flinders University’s Bedford Park campus and then along main arterial roads around the entire Bedford Park precinct.

The shuttle can carry up to 15 passengers at 30km per hour. An operator will be on board to provide users with information on the technology and ensure their safety.

The project is part of an agreement with Flinders University and the RAA and Department of Planning. Other partners include 6667 Cohda Wireless, Renewal SA, 8499 Sage Automation, Telstra, UPG, ZenEnergy and public transport operator 6546 Keolis Downer.

Related Content

  • October 15, 2019
    ITS Australia: National Awards 2019 nominees
    An autonomous Mobility as a Service pilot at a retirement village is among the nominees in ITS Australia’s National Awards 2019. Aurrigo is exploring how the technology will be used safely by elderly passengers in an environment where technical systems are not well understood. The Queensland Police Service’s forensic crash unit has also been nominated - for using drones to map crash scenes to help reduce road closure times and traffic congestion. In addition, Cooee Busways was chosen for using vehicl
    Read More
  • August 6, 2019
    Autonomous shuttle passenger injured following sudden stop
    A 76-year-old passenger travelling on an autonomous shuttle has been injured after the vehicle came to an unexpected stop, says KUTV. Gene Petrie, an employee at the Utah State Tax Commission, was thrown from his seat and hit the handrail near the door, resulting in bruising and black eyes. Charlie Roberts, spokesman for the Utah State Tax Commission, is quoted saying: “Out of the clear blue, it suddenly stopped, and it wasn’t a slow-down stop. It was a sudden stop.” Petrie went to the hospital f
    Read More
  • November 2, 2018
    Waymo gets California green light for public driverless tests
    Waymo has been granted a licence to test fully-driverless cars on public roads in California. It is the first company to be given the green light for such trials in the state – and it means there will be no test driver sitting in the driver’s seat. The permit includes day and night testing on city streets, rural roads and highways with speed limits of up to 65mph. Waymo insists: “Our vehicles can safely handle fog and light rain, and testing in those conditions is included in our permit. We will gradual
    Read More
  • November 26, 2018
    Grab Ventures and NUS launch e-scooter service at Singapore campus
    Grab Ventures has launched a three-month electric scooter pilot at the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Kent Ridge campus for three months. The subsidiary of technology firm Grab says it offers a green transportation option for NUS staff and students. The scooters are available at eight parking locations on the campus. Grab intends to increase this number to 30 by the end of December. Professor Yong Kwet Yew, NUS senior vice president, says the partnership provides a last-mile transportation op
    Read More

Highlighted Content