Rivium 1.0
Rivium Business Park
When Rivium business park was first created it required a good public transit connection. With a relatively small distance (1.2 kilometers) to metro station Kralingse Zoom, it was felt that an automated system would be preferred over a manually driven bus due to the repetitive nature. As a rail solution was deemed to expensive, autonomous shuttles were suggested. Based on its experience with automated vehicles in the Port of Rotterdam, 2getthere was selected as supplier.
Initial Installation
The initial installation featured 3 vehicles, each accommodating up to 10 passengers. The route is realized on what was previously planned as a bike path: should the system not deliver on its promises, it allows for the infrastructure to continue to be used. It also means operations on a single lane, with designated locations to allow vehicles from the opposite direction to pass. A landmark bridge over a major highway ensures entry to the Rivium business park.
Lessons Learnt
While intended for 1 year only, the system operated for nearly 3 years. At that time it was concluded that it did deliver the transit service desired, with improvements to comfort, reliability and capacity desired. The transit operator Connexxion set up a list of requirements to tranform the vehicles from machines to means of public transit. One of the vehicles served in the Schiphol application for several years, before also being decommisioned.