Milan sets out pathway for autonomous vehicles in urban mobility

The City of Milan has signed a three-year agreement with autonomous driving company Niulinx to explore how self-driving vehicles could be introduced into the city’s transport system.

The agreement sets out an eight-stage pathway moving from regulatory approval and on-road testing towards potential deployment of autonomous fleets. Initial trials will focus particularly on mobility for older people and those with disabilities as well as mobility for minors, with testing planned without a safety operator on board.

Potential applications identified by the city include demand-responsive transport, first- and last-mile connections with public transport, and shuttle services to healthcare, education and cultural facilities. The programme will also examine safety, service performance and social impact through jointly developed indicators.

“Autonomous driving is not only technological innovation: it is a concrete opportunity to guarantee independent mobility for the most vulnerable groups in the city,” said Milan’s Mobility Councillor Arianna Censi.

Niulinx, a spin-off from Politecnico di Milano, is developing Level 4 autonomous-driving software and a ‘Robo-Sharing’ model for urban car sharing. Under this approach, an empty vehicle autonomously travels at low speed to collect the user, who then drives it conventionally to their destination.

The company is already conducting authorised trials in Brescia and Cernusco sul Naviglio. Milan has also previously tested autonomous-driving technologies in real urban environments through its PNRR-funded Living Lab.

The new partnership will additionally explore national and European funding opportunities and support Milan’s ambition to develop as a European testbed for autonomous urban mobility.

Photo: City of Milan