Collaboration and a holistic approach can enable new mobility solutions on waterways.

The project "Testbed for electrified autonomous waterborne public transport" aimed to clarify the potential and evaluate resource needs for an open, shared testbed environment for urban water transport, such as river and archipelago traffic, in the Gothenburg area. Within the project, which was funded by the Swedish Energy Agency, ten different actors took a broader approach to what resources and central issues are required to launch a test environment, linked to infrastructure, mobility patterns, and legal aspects, among other things.

The project has produced two final reports, and among the results, it is noted that:

• The opportunities lie in the energy efficiency and flexibility of the new solutions, as well as how different degrees of automation can facilitate both new and existing vessels.
• In in-depth studies of boat travellers in Gothenburg, acceptance for electrified and automated vessels is judged to be relatively high. Integration into existing public transport networks and ticketing systems/tax funding is highly valued. As is often the case in public transport, there are requests from travellers for more links than funding allows.
• If cities and/or port authorities take a holistic approach to enable the testing and development of vessels and traffic, this could in turn support urban development where more energy and time-efficient journeys are achieved.

According to project manager Lars Bern, there is now useful material for decision-makers and other stakeholders to review, which can make a difference:

– In addition to the need for collaboration between several stakeholders, there is a demand for the City of Gothenburg to step forward and manage the possibilities from a mobility perspective, interwoven with other modes of transport such as walking, cycling, bus, and tram. This is probably the best way forward to unlock a seemingly efficient potential for more direct waterways, says Lars Bern.

Read more about the project and find the final reports below