Skip to main content

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

  • March 13, 2018
    SICE chooses GMV to implement TVM machines on Chile Metro
    Sociedad Ibérica de Construcciones Eléctricas (SICE) has chosen technology provider GMV to design and manufacture ticket vending machines (TVMs) that will replace the traditional personnel-attended ticket windows at the Santiago de Chile Metro’s line six and the future line three. Since opening late last year, line six is said to carry an average of 100,000 passengers daily and is helping to reduce congestion on other lines of the network. Through the agreement, 80 TVMs will vend and recharge the Chilean
  • March 15, 2018
    Highways England offers public an insight into roadworks operations
    Highways England is offering members of the public an opportunity to see how roads and structures are built and maintained at five construction sites as part of the Open Doors initiative, from the 19-24 March. The project aims to inspire young people considering career ideas and adults thinking about a change of occupation to learn more about the range of skills and professionals needed on site. Three sites for the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon road scheme in Swavesey, Brampton and Ermine Street will
  • June 20, 2013
    Australian Intelligent Transport Systems Summit 2013
    Australia will welcome international experts working at the leading edge of intelligent transport systems to speak at the ITS Summit to be held at the Australian Technology Park in Sydney from 18 to 20 September 2013. The international input will add value to progress the Summit's key objective to formulate a national vision for ITS in Australia. ITS Australia Chief Executive Officer Susan Harris said the aim is to define a plan with a core set of transport priorities broadly acknowledged across all governm
  • December 19, 2018
    Elon Musk unveils Los Angeles tunnel plan
    Elon Musk, the boss of Tesla and SpaceX, has opened the first tunnel in a planned network under Los Angeles to help ease congestion in the US city. The world’s media was invited this week to travel in the mile-long tunnel – built by Musk’s Boring Company under the Hawthorne district - in an electric Tesla vehicle. The trip was described as “almost a white knuckle ride” by the BBC: “A bumpy two-minute journey in a modified Model X through a concrete tunnel with a blue neon light in the ceiling.” A C