Tech campus to trial driverless vehicles for staff

A high-tech science campus is testing self-driving vehicles for the commute to work as part of a trial of the technology.

The Wellcome Genome Campus in Hinxton, on the southern edge of Cambridge, said it had received funding from the government to carry out the year-long study.

It will assess how a direct self-driving link between the site and Whittlesford Parkway station could cut congestion and support future growth, but the vehicles will not carry passengers just yet.

Campus chief executive Robert Evans said the introduction would be "game-changing" for the site and would deliver a scalable model for the use of autonomous vehicles across the country.

The campus currently runs shuttle buses and coaches to and from Whittlesford Parkway to get people to the site.

A dedicated land corridor for the autonomous vehicles would make it easier for workers to get to the site, offer predictable journey times, and help to cut congestion and emissions, the campus said.

It added that the proposed corridor could allow driverless vehicles to operate in a controlled area without mixing with other traffic.

Evans said the campus was looking at new transport solutions as works start to expand the current site.

The funding was given as part of the government's CAM Pathfinder Programme, which aims to enhance growth in the region.

The trial was expected to produce a plan that would look at how the driverless vehicles could support growth and job creation for science and innovation sites in and near Cambridge and the UK.

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