Self-driving shuttle bus launched in Belfast Harbour
There is no driver on board the bus, although there is a "safety operator' sitting behind a wheel that turns itself.
Belfast Harbour say the goal of the project is to offer 'last mile connectivity' between the train station and the rest of the harbour estate, connecting 'transport networks to businesses, tourist attractions and education and leisure facilities'.
During a pilot period between now and September, the bus will be entirely free to use for members of the public.
The Harlander was developed by the Harbour along with several other companies, including eVersum, Oxa, Angoka, BT and Horiba Mira.
A special right-hand drive version of an electric bus was created specifically for the Harlander service by the Austrian firm Hobira Mira.
Oxa are behind the self-driving technology, while safety testing was carried out by Hobira Mira, a Coventry-based company.
In May, Belfast Harbour said the vehicle was 'tested to death' by Hobira Mira in order to ensure its safety.
Mike Dawson, people and digital transformation director at Belfast Harbour, said: 'Following eight weeks of testing, we are delighted to launch the Harlander to the public to offer last mile connectivity on the Harbour Estate.
'This is a groundbreaking project for Northern Ireland and is a step towards fully driverless transport.
'Belfast Harbour has a strong track record of supporting innovation and this project supports our Smart Port ambitions, utilising cutting-edge technology to support our tenants and the public.
'We're excited to see the public reaction and utilisation of the service.'
In May, Mr Dawson described the shuttle as an attempt to 'incentivise' people to use public transport by more seamlessly connecting the train and Catalyst.
He described the current loop of four stops as a 'model and a blueprint' that will be used to find what is 'viable for other services'.
'What we'd like to do is have this run, learn from it, particularly the passenger experience and customer experience.
'What does that look like? What does that feel like? What needs to be tweaked, improved? How do you make sure there are no barriers to entry for people to be able to get on and access it?'
The Harbour plan for the Harlander to be a first step towards an increasing amount of autonomous vehicles being used in Northern Ireland's transport network.
Mr Dawson said that he would 'like to see' self-driving vehicles across the city: 'We would like to see more of these, where you can create connectivity on the estate itself.
'We see this as a much bigger play regionally, not just for Northern Ireland, but also for GB, where you can get connectivity to those main routes.
'Imagine you had estates in the city where you had these types of routes feeding the Glider route.
'It doesn't replace bus drivers, it augments what we have in place today.'
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