Keolis Canada and the City of Candiac, with the manufacturer NAVYA, financial support from the Québec Government, the collaboration of Propulsion Québec, the Cluster for Electric and Smart Transportation, and the Technopôle IVÉO, announced the first long-term demonstration project of a 100% electric autonomous shuttle on public roads in Canada.

The NAVYA Autonom Shuttle will operate in mixed traffic; this is a first step toward integrating autonomous shuttles into shared transportation solutions, in addition to complement the existing transport offer. The pilot project will begin in the summer 2018 for a period of 12 months, including eight months at the service of citizens. During the winter, a research and development project to test the shuttle in Québec cold weather conditions will take place without passengers on board.

For this project, Keolis has obtained financial support of $350,000 from the Ministry of Economy, Science, and Innovation as part of the measure to support demonstration projects in the action plan in favor of the industry of ground transportation and sustainable mobility.

The NAVYA Autonom Shuttle will operate along a 1.25 mile route between the exo park-and-ride lot and the bus terminal and the intersection of Marie-Victorin and Montcalm North Boulevards with several stops along the way, including City Hall, retirement housing, and local businesses. The shuttle will also allow employees in the area to reach their workplaces from the bus terminal.

Additionally, the CAA-Québec Foundation for road safety, with the support of partners, is evaluating the possibility of conducting an independent study on road safety and social acceptance in this project. The lessons learned would offer precious insights with a clear goal of maintaining, without condition, harmony between vehicles sharing the road.