Finland’s largest robot bus was tested in Lempäälä

Finland’s first large 22-seat robot bus was operated in Lempäälä from May to September 2024, as part of public transport.

The aim was to shorten the service interval and improve the service level

Finland's first large, 22-seat robot bus operated in Lempäälä from May to September 2024, as part of public transport. The service was carried out in cooperation with the municipality of Lempäälä, Nysse and Remoted. The aim was to gather experience with the robot bus as a means of shortening the service interval and improving the service level. The robot bus operated between the centre of Lempäälä and the residential area of ​​Haurala. The trial was part of the EU SHOW project and ended on 30 September 2024.

Average 850 passengers per month

The length of the route between Lempäälä and Haurala was 5.3 kilometers. There were 17 stops along the route and the bus ran in so-called metro mode, meaning it stopped automatically at each stop. The interval between trips was 40 minutes. An average of 850 passengers from very different user groups used the bus monthly for shopping, school trips and as part of a travel chain.

Passenger satisfaction was measured using HappyOrNot devices on the bus and over 95% of passengers were very satisfied with the service. A thesis was also supervised in the municipality of Lempäälä, which investigated passenger satisfaction. A blog post published by Lempäälä highlighted the passengers' thanks for the service and their hopes for the continuation of the line in the future: https://www.lempaala.fi/tiedotteet/lempaalan-robottibussipilotti-sai-kayttajiltaan-kiitosta/.