The aim of this competition is to target early commercial self-driving vehicle opportunities, and support the UK supply chain to grow and fill technology gaps necessary for their deployment.

Where appropriate, your project must align with the nine principles of the Future of Mobility Urban Strategy.

In this strand: Commercialising Connected & Automated Mobility: Mass transit, CCAV is seeking proposals where Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) could deliver a significantly more cost effective, and low carbon solution than traditional public transport options.

Your project must identify a new application for CAM as a mass transit solution on a segregated route and quantify the real-life potential of a suitable solution.

Your proposed automated vehicle services must be on physically segregated infrastructure: routes that are not open to public access: for vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists and other road users. This can include for example, tracks, disused railway routes.

Your proposal must:

• consider the utilisation of new CAM technologies for innovative mass transit services on segregated infrastructure, including both new and disused infrastructure, or infrastructure that would otherwise require a significant upgrade
• propose the design, delivery, and operational cases for the introduction of a service on a specific, UK route currently underserved by public transport, including how it could be practically delivered and operated as part of an integrated public transport network.
• solve real-life transport problems and focus on areas and routes in the UK that are currently underserved by public transport, particularly areas where traditional rail services are not deemed viable
• set out why an automated vehicle service would provide better outcomes than traditional mass transit modes, for example, heavy and light rail, tram and bus, including guided busways
• consider how a service could be improved or expanded in the future, for example, as technology develops and legislation enables the use of automated vehicles on public roads

Your project must submit:

• an interim report by 1 May 2023
• a final report by 30 November 2023

We will fund a variety of projects across the competition strands, themes, different applications, geographies and operational design domains. We call this a portfolio approach.

Terminology in your application must comply with the meanings as per BSI Flex 1890 v4.0:2022-03: Connected and automated vehicles - Vocabulary

Successful projects must support and engage with the Impact and Evaluation framework..

Specific themes

Your project must consider all the following themes:

• economic, social, and decarbonisation benefits, considering the Green Book
• capital expenditure and operational expenditure
• infrastructure and service delivery plan and timelines
• commercial viability and revenue protection
• passenger capacity and scalability of service
• encouraging the use of public transport
• integration into existing public transport networks, including active travel, with consideration of connected infrastructure, on demand and Mobility as a Service technologies
• connecting underserved routes, locations, or populations to employment centres, education opportunities and larger population centres
• ensuring safety and security, including cyber security
• use of UK-based automation and infrastructure technologies and expertise
• ensuring public trust in the service
• ensuring accessibility and inclusivity of the service

Your project can consider the use of CAM:

• on new infrastructure
• on disused infrastructure or infrastructure that otherwise requires costly upgrades, for example rail lines
• in rural, semi-rural or urban environments

You must ensure that your project will consider all legal requirements in your chosen deployment areas. It is your responsibility to take legal advice in this matter.