Autonomous shuttle advocacy: Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich plan to endorse self-driving public transport vehicles
Berlin, Munich, and Hamburg are set to revolutionise urban mobility as Germany's three largest public transport companies, Berlin's BVG, Munich's MVG, and Hamburg's HVV, have formed a strategic partnership. The focus of this collaboration is the integration of up to 2000 Robo-Shuttles into their public transport systems by 2035.
The partnership aims to create synergies and set standards in the field of autonomous driving. The city of Munich has an ongoing research initiative named 'Minga,' aiming to automate both scheduled and on-demand vehicles, while Berlin's BVG has tested autonomous minibuses on the 'Sea Mile.' Hamburg's HVV, in partnership with Volkswagen's subsidiary Moia, is driving the 'Alike' project, focusing on integrating autonomous car-sharing into public transport.
The joint, cross-platform app, 'MAX,' will bundle access to bus, train, and other transport options, making urban mobility more seamless. Another area of the partnership is the development of this mobility platform, named 'MAX.' The distribution systems will be standardized, unified, and digitized for simple, cross-regional use.
The agreement is open-ended, and a steering committee will coordinate the collaboration to avoid duplication and gradually implement the common goals by 2035. BVG and MVG have already started using the provider Trafi for individual applications within their respective systems.
While there is no publicly available detailed timeline for integrating up to 2000 robo-shuttles into the public transport systems of Berlin, Munich, and Hamburg as of September 2025, first experiences have already been gathered in the partnership's implementation. The city of Munich has not specified a specific number of autonomous shuttles to be integrated into its public transport system.
The partnership could serve as a model for the entire public transport industry, demonstrating the potential of integrating autonomous vehicles into urban transport systems on a large scale. As the world continues to embrace the era of autonomous driving, this collaboration between Germany's public transport giants is a significant step forward.
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