Stagecoach Group PLC (LSE:SGC) will begin what it says is the world's first 'full-size' self-driving bus service in May.
Five single-deck autonomous buses will be available from May 15 on the park-and-ride route between Edinburgh's train and tram interchange and Ferrytoll Park & Ride in Fife, 14 miles away.
The buses will provide a capacity for approximately 10,000 passenger journeys per week, as part of what has been called Project CAVForth.
Equipped with advanced sensors, the vehicles can travel on pre-selected roads at speeds of up to 50mph.
As part of the trial as it moves to AV Level 4, a safety driver will sit in the driver's seat to monitor the technology but will not be expected to touch the controls whilst the vehicle is in autonomous mode, while a designated "bus captain" will assist passengers with boarding, ticketing and inquiries.
Bristol-based Fusion Processing, specialists in automated driving systems, is leading the consortium running the project, along with transport group Stagecoach, bus builder Alexander Dennis, Transport Scotland, along with scientists and researchers at Napier University and the Bristol Robotics Lab.
Kevin Stewart, transport minister for the Scottish government, called it "an exciting milestone for this innovative and ambitious project", adding that Scotland's road network "can provide a wide range of environments as a diverse testing ground, and the ground-breaking and globally significant Project CAVForth will really help Scotland establish its credentials on the world stage".
Fusion Processing has developed the CAVstar automated drive system, which combines a range of radar, LiDAR and optical sensors with artificial intelligence processing units to guide the buses.