Adding autonomous vehicles to public transport could reduce urban traffic by 11% – report

Autonomous shuttles and buses that are integrated in public transport systems could significantly reduce traffic in Germany’s cities, and bring better connections to rural areas, according to a report commissioned by railway operator DB Regio. Using autonomous vehicles and adapting public transport services accordingly could reduce road traffic in cities by up to 11 percent by 2045, the authors found.

The report examined different scenarios on how autonomous driving could be best used to reduce waiting times, speed up transportation, decrease distances between stops, and a lower number of transfers. The expansion of public transport is seen as essential in decarbonising the mobility sector – a vital goal of the energy transition. 

“We can derive the greatest benefit if we fundamentally develop public transport and expand the range of services on offer – with autonomous shuttles, optimised bus routes and connections to trains,” said Frederik Ley, head of DB Regio.

Simply enabling buses to operate autonomously would bring few advantages, according to the report. Instead, autonomous driving is most beneficial when it is integrated into the public transport system, for example through self-driving shuttles that feed passengers to optimised train and bus routes.

"Privately operated robotaxis would also bring little improvement. On the contrary, traffic in metropolitan areas would increase by up to 40 percent, and mobility options in rural areas would not improve," DB Regio said.

An attractive offer could entice more people to forgo their own car and use public transport instead, the authors said. Public transport's share of total traffic volume would double to more than 35 percent, they calculated.

“Today, 14 percent of people have access to attractive public transport services,” the authors wrote. “With the right use of autonomous vehicles, this could apply to everyone in the future.”