Sohjoa Baltic Opened Procurement for Robotbuses to Helsinki and Tallinn
Project Sohjoa Baltic (Interreg BSR) promotes emission-lowering, last mile public transportation smart mobility solutions across Baltic Sea Region. The project’s automated, electric minibus piloting in Helsinki is calling for service providers capable of operating such vehicle in urban areas, to leave their bids by 8th March, 2019.
The Sohjoa Baltic project is coordinated by its lead partner and the most experienced robotbus pilot operator in Finland, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, together with partners from Nordic and Baltic countries.
Helsinki pilot supports the city of Helsinki’s strategy being emission free by 2035
The pilot is conducted in collaboration with Helsinki's innovation company Forum Virium Helsinki. Goal is to make Helsinki the most functional smart city in the world in cooperation with companies, universities, cities and residents.
Helsinki is an excellent test bed for smart mobility solutions. There has been a number of pilots and more is yet to come. Sohjoa Baltic in a one of the most prominent autonomous mobility pilots in Helsinki in 2019.
Metropolia University of Applied Sciences will lease an autonomous last mile bus for R&D busline pilot project in Finland to be used on a specific road network on public roads with low speeds and traffic.
As general requirement, the bus will have to function with pedestrians and bicycles as well as with light mixed vehicle traffic in low speed areas (30-40 km/h). The bus operation is made by bidder.
Metropolia University of Applied Sciences will acquire traffic permissions from Finland’s traffic safety agency Traficom as well as mandatory insurances for open road driving. Detailed requirements are described in the tender material, more information from Finnish database HILMA.
Project partner Tallinn is piloting this summer too
Sohjoa Baltic has partnering cities in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Latvia and Estonia. Kongsberg in Norway has started their piloting in October 2018. Vejle in Denmark, Gdansk in Poland and Zemgale region in Latvia will hold shorter demos later this year or early 2020.
In Tallinn a similar piloting to Helsinki will be held this summer. Tallinn's procurement process is also open and information is found from Estonian database Riigihanked
More information
- Sohjoa Baltic Helsinki
- Juha Sääski, Project Coordinator, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences email: juha.saaski@ metropolia.fi
- Jari Honkonen, Project Manager, Forum Virium Helsinki tel: +358 40 663 6668
- Sohjoa Baltic Tallinn
- Jaagup Ainsalu, Tallinn City Transport Department, email: jaagup.ainsalu@ tallinnlv.ee
- https://www.sohjoabaltic.eu
