A self-driving shuttle at the Efteling!
This summer, Arriva, the province of Noord-Brabant, SmartwayZ.NL, amusement park the Efteling, led by Dutch Automated Mobility Shuttles, will start a self-driving shuttle around the Efteling. The Efteling is the largest theme park in the Netherlands and is known for its fairytale forest and spectacular roller coasters. Due to its diversity, it is very popular with families. There are therefore several holiday parks around the amusement park. The shuttle will drive a round along the bus station, entrance to the theme park and the various holiday parks.
Continuation of cooperation
Since September 2022, Arriva and the province of Noord-Brabant, from SmartwayZ.NL and team OV, have both been partners in the European project SINFONICA. This project is a study of how self-driving public transport can also remain accessible to vulnerable target groups. This includes facilities that are necessary on the bus and at the bus stop, but also assistance in further digitalization of services in public transport such as planning, booking and paying for your trip. The end result of this research are tools and a knowledge map for both policy makers focused on accessible public transport, as well as for manufacturers of autonomous vehicles and developers of journey planners, possibly with a payment function.
In the European project, we as a province mainly did fieldwork by interviewing various vulnerable target groups and bringing these target groups together via focus groups and workshops. The idea to start with a self-driving shuttle came from this.
Why a shuttle?
The concrete idea is that the self-driving shuttle at the Efteling will stimulate public transport and in particular improve last-mile provision. The shuttle will drive from the bus stop at the Efteling along the holiday parks around the Efteling. In addition to the holiday parks, there is also Villa Pardoes. Families with a child who is seriously ill or has a disability stay overnight at Villa Pardoes. We expect that this project is also suitable for testing knowledge that was acquired during the SINFONICA project in practice. The Efteling visitors are very diverse and we therefore expect that vulnerable target groups, as defined in the SINFONICA project, will be travellers. We will therefore monitor the experiences of travellers with the shuttle and compare them with the results of the SINFONICA study.
With this, we want to take the next step in learning what is needed for accessible autonomous public transport. We are also curious about how the shuttle will work as a supplement to public transport and thus be able to answer the question of whether more visitors to the Efteling will come to the theme park by public transport.
Come visit!
Curious about the shuttle? And curious about the Efteling? Then come to the best theme park in The Netherlands soon and make the theme park experience even more unique by getting into the self-driving shuttle!
