UITP, the International Association for Public Transport, has published a new Position on automated mobility in public transport. The publications sets out the benefits of the technology for the sector, identifies regional and global barriers to large-scale rollout and delivers recommendations to accelerate deployment. The paper draws on the knowledge and views of UITP members, as well as UITP’s experience in Horizon projects including SHOW, FAME, ULTIMO and CCAMbassador.

Automated mobility is often framed as a disruptive force arriving from outside public transport. But this misses an important point: the PT sector has long been an innovator – autonomous metros have operated since 1981! Using technology to provide safe, reliable, and inclusive mobility is exactly what public transport does.

Public transport operators are under growing pressure in many parts of the world:  budget constraints, driver shortages and changing demand patterns make it increasingly difficult to maintain service levels. This is especially the case in off‑peak periods, and lower‑density areas like  suburban and rural areas.

At the same time, public transport does not just offer benefits; it is the backbone of modern life and economies. Public transport connects people – to each other, and to schools, hospitals, commerce, and leisure. It helps reduce emissions and noise pollution, promotes cleaner, greener cities, and allows us to reclaim public space. And it’s an economic powerhouse, connecting people to jobs, supporting tourism, regenerating communities.

Simply put, we need public transport, and we need more of it. No wonder then, that public transport operators have been leading the way in piloting automated vehicles. AVs, when properly integrated in public transport networks, can be transformative for society as a whole.

The innovation here is not simply technological, it is about the service:

• Greater service flexibility and coverage: AVs enable PTOs to extend services into evenings, off‑peak periods, and lower‑density areas where traditional operations are often constrained by cost. They make it easier to align service supply with real demand, rather than fixed schedules alone.
• Resilience in the face of workforce shortages: As many operators struggle to recruit and retain drivers, AVs provide a way to maintain or expand services while creating new, skilled roles in supervision, fleet management, and operations.
• Improved accessibility and social inclusion: When designed for public transport, automated services can better serve people with reduced mobility, older passengers, and communities currently underserved by the network, strengthening first- and last‑mile connections.
• Stronger environmental and urban outcomes: By supporting modal shift away from private cars, AVs can contribute to cleaner air, lower noise, reduced emissions, and more space for greener, more liveable cities.

But we are not yet there, and some significant hurdles remain.

Level 4 is key. while driver assistance and partial automation are helpful, the PT sector is focused on Level 4 automation. This is where the biggest benefits will be unlocked: extended service hours, higher frequency, coverage in low-demand areas, flexible services that meet real demand. The sector needs L4 vehicles designed with public transport in mind. More cooperation between the sector and industry is needed – demonstrating that the market exists, spurring investment and getting the right vehicles for the job.

Those L4 vehicles need to be of all sizes. Shuttles and smaller vehicles are leading the way technologically. However, automated medium and large-size buses will also have a part to play. A diverse fleet of AVs will enable operators to service the full spectrum of use cases – from local on-demand to high-capacity core lines. Vehicles should also aim for barrier-free mobility, enabling everyone to benefit from this technology.

We need to deploy those L4 vehicles at scale. ‘Pilot fatigue’ is not just for aviators! PTOs have ample experience in testing small numbers of vehicles in limited trials and with short-term funding. Now is the time to move to large-scale deployments, which can demonstrate sustainable use cases and deliver real mobility solutions for society. This also means developing secure, scalable remote supervision and management systems. It is also crucial to involve vulnerable user groups in service design, helping ensure that passenger safety and security is at the centre of operations.

Underpinning all of this are two critical enablers:

1. Updated regulation that ensures safety, while proactively supporting putting vehicles on the road. In Europe, this includes moving beyond the cap on type-approved vehicles. However, it is also crucial that we move towards harmonised rules for deploying vehicles on the road. The recent moves towards a ‘Large Scale Testbed’ by several Member States and coordinated by the European Commission is a welcome step in this regard.
2. Long-term funding & financing models, focused on L4 autonomy for public transport. New financing instruments, more flexible procurement rules, new partnerships with industry, common standards and aggregated demand / pooled purchase orders – all of these elements will help the public transport sector provide the high-volume demand that industry needs.

Public transport has a long history of innovation and automated vehicles will be the latest part of that tradition. Operators and authorities are ready, but they can’t do it alone. Collaboration with cities, national and regional authorities, industry, emergency services, user groups, unions and researchers will be fundamental to success. And that success will be transformative: bringing all the benefits of public transport to more people, in more places, through a transport system that’s  more inclusive, sustainable and resilient.

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John McSweeney is a CCAM Expert and Manager at UITP, the International Association of Public Transport. John manages UITP’s Working Group on Automated Mobility, bringing together public transport operators, authorities, OEMs, service providers and researchers working on the deployment of automated vehicles within public transport. The Group produces original reports and papers, contributes to European policy discussions and promotes knowledge sharing in the PT sector. John has also led UITP’s contribution to EU-funded projects in the area, including as coordinator of SHOW.