Ringway takes part in innovative autonomous and connected vehicle trials in Milton Keynes
Ringway has helped to pioneer new technology on the UK’s roads by taking part in an innovative three-year trial of autonomous and connected vehicles which will shape the future of mobility.
Connected and autonomous vehicles were demonstrated and operated in live conditions across the roads of Milton Keynes, alongside the world’s largest fleet of self-driving pods as part of an innovative trial held by UK Autodrive to support the introduction of self-driving vehicles into the UK.
Ringway provided comprehensive traffic management and vehicle charging facilities throughout the two-day event last week, as well as supporting three weeks of preparation to ensure the trials were conducted safely on the public highway ensuring that regular road users and pedestrians were unaffected.
Chief Executive Scott Wardrop; Mike Notman, Managing Director and Regional Director John Nicholson were all given demonstrations in connected and autonomous vehicles, as well as the self-driving pods which travelled to locations around the city centre.
The trials aimed to demonstrate how autonomous and connected vehicles can integrate into real-world urban environments and how they can help solve everyday challenges, such as congestion and vehicle incidents.
Ringway has additionally fitted more than 3,500 sensors to street lighting columns to collect and provide real-time data, such as the availability of car park spaces and to monitor how busy the roads and footpaths are, which residents will soon be able to access via a mobile phone app.
Earlier this year Ringway also joined forces with the UK Autodrive project to prepare the Milton Keynes highways and Redways for the introduction of low-speed self-driving robot vehicles in pedestrianised areas which now provide delivery of shopping and packages direct to residents’ homes.
