Press Releases

So what is it that passengers need to prefer Public Transport? The answer comes from experiments carried out in Luxembourg

Experience, networks and facilities provided to the PAsCAL project to improve understanding, acceptance and transition to the use of CAVs

Experience, networks and technologies provided to the PAsCAL project to improve understanding, acceptance and transition to the use of CAVs

The First Mixed-Traffic Autonomous Bus in Spain Raised the Acceptance of Connected Autonomous Vehicles (CAV) in Madrid. A third pilot of the PAsCAL project took place on the campus of Universidad Autonoma de Madrid (Spain). The campus hosts the first autonomous bus line in mixed traffic and under commercial operation in Spain. Participants of the pilot were asked to interact with the bus both as passengers and co-road users, sharing the road with the bus. 

Driving training is confirmed to be essential for the comprehension, acceptance and transition towards CAV Training is one of the key factors that can substantially change drivers’ behavior and acceptance of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAV). This is the precondition that led to the development of the theoretical-practical instructional method of the PAsCAL* project (*https://www.pascal-project.eu/), aimed at the different categories of drivers: novice unskilled drivers, experienced drivers, professional drivers and driving trainers. 

Concerns about interaction between CAVs and traditional mobility. 84% of the vulnerable users (elderly, pregnant women, disabled, travellers with heavy luggage, parents with strollers) believe that a connected transport environment will help them to use public transport more easily and independently; 90% consider important a high degree of autonomy in daily mobility; 62% think that connected transport environments will cut travel time by half and 47% are willing to pay for this type of service.

The answer comes from PAsCAL Project's Immersive Arena Many pedestrians do not trust autonomous vehicles: they fear that, towards them, this type of vehicle will not behave in the right way. This is the result of Immersive Arena analysis of Workpackage 4 (WP4), part of the PAsCAL*project. (link to the website www.pascal-project.eu) a series of experimental activities dedicated to evaluate pedestrian acceptance and behaviour in front of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs).

Under the Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme, the European Commission has recently funded 4 new projects focused on driver behaviour and acceptance of connected, cooperative and automated transport: Drive2TheFuture, PAsCAL, SUaaVE, Trustonomy.

A consortium of 13 international partners will test European users’ knowledge and acceptance of autonomous vehicles, to create a ‘Guide2Autonomy’ containing 100 technical, political, legal and economic recommendations. How much aware are we of the connected and autonomous cars? What are our expectations about them? Are we worried? Are we ready to drive them or, better, to be transported by them? Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) will be the future mobility, in a very near future. The challenge is on for governments, public authorities, manufacturers and consumers.