Ireland’s first driverless public transport vehicle will take a spin in Dublin this weekend

The EZ10 has already been deployed in 20 countries.

The first driverless shuttle in Ireland will make its debut in Dublin’s Docklands on 21 and 22 September. The special event organised by Dublin City Council as part of its ‘Smart Docklands’ project and in partnership with the Civic Group will bring a glimpse of the future of smart and sustainable transport to Dublin. The Easymile ‘EZ10’ is a driverless, electric shuttle bus, which can carry up to 15 people and is ideal for last mile transportation in particular. It features a built-in access ramp for passengers with reduced mobility and there is no need for additional road infrastructure to operate the vehicle. The vehicle has ‘state of the art’ smart technologies with advanced cameras, processors and sensors that enable the trip to run smoothly. The ‘EZ10’ is currently in daily operation at locations in the US, Holland, China and Estonia and is expanding globally. The shuttle route will run for nearly one kilometre with four stops in place from the Dublin Convention Centre to the 3Arena. The event will be open to the public as part of a wider European Mobility Week event where Dublin City Council and its partners will host the ‘Future Mobility Showcase’ on North Wall Quay on Saturday, September 22 from 11am - 5pm where there will be on street family-friendly activities. There will be an opportunity to take a free trip on the shuttle from 2pm - 5pm on Friday September 21 and 11am - 5pm on Saturday September 22. This will be a one time event and not a permanent fixture. On the day, there will also be a showcase of new transport services such as shared bikes, e-bikes, electric scooters and car clubs.   In particular, cycling will play a key role in the future of transport with the City Council hosting the global cycling conference VeloCity in 2019 at the Convention Centre Dublin, which is the location of the first stop on the EZ10 route. “Dublin City Council through its ‘Smart City’ programme and the ‘Smart Docklands’ testbed district is encouraging a debate on the future of transport and mobility in the city," says Owen Keegan, Chief Executive, Dublin City Council. "With the rapid pace of technology change, there is a wide range of innovative sustainable transport opportunities. The traditional models of commuting will expand to incorporate a whole range of shared transport options including the use of shared bikes, electric scooters, car clubs and new on-demand autonomous shuttle services such as the EasyMile shuttle. "This is likely to be especially the case in relation to the last mile of journeys. We are delighted to give local residents and Dubliners the opportunity to see and test the future of city transport.”