ABSOLUT II in Amsterdam: Leipzig’s Strategy for Autonomous Driving in Public Transport

At the AV Conference in Amsterdam, LVB presented how Leipzig is shaping the future of public transport with ABSOLUT II, Flexa and Technical Supervision.

How can autonomous driving in public transport help make mobility more sustainable, efficient and inclusive? This question was at the heart of Manuel Meyer’s presentation at the AV Conference in Amsterdam.

Under the title “Leipzig’s strategy for autonomous driving in public transport”, he presented LVB’s integrated approach: autonomous driving is not seen as a stand-alone technology, but as part of a connected system consisting of high-capacity public transport, on-demand mobility, customer interfaces, control centres, infrastructure and Technical Supervision.

A key focus was the international perspective. While autonomous mobility is already being used operationally in parts of the US and China, Leipzig is pursuing a clearly public-transport-oriented approach with ABSOLUT II. Autonomous driving in public transport should create value where conventional services face economic and operational limits – especially in suburban areas and, in the future, rural regions.

With ABSOLUT and ABSOLUT II, Leipzig is gradually developing a complete system for automated and, in the future, driverless public transport. ABSOLUT II focuses on remote vehicle access through Technical Supervision from the control centre. This is a key prerequisite for operating autonomous shuttles without safety staff on board and for scaling the system economically.

Flexa, LVB’s established on-demand service, plays an important role in this strategy. The perspective is clear: Flexa becomes autonomous. By connecting the on-demand platform, control centre, Technical Supervision, vehicle technology and public infrastructure, a scalable model for flexible mobility can emerge.

The presentation also showed that driverless public transport requires more than technical solutions. New roles, processes and competencies within public transport operations will be needed – from Technical Supervision to vehicle and passenger operations as well as data, system and interface management.

The AV Conference provided an ideal setting to discuss Leipzig’s approach with international experts from public transport operators, industry, research and public authorities. ABSOLUT II demonstrated that autonomous driving in public transport is more than a pilot project. It is a strategic building block for integrated, public-interest-oriented and future-ready mobility.