Driverless buses will be on the road in Fife by 2021 after the region was chosen for a ground pilot scheme.
The trial, dubbed Project CAV Forth, will see five Alexander Dennis manual single-decker buses converted into autonomous vehicles.
The self-driving coaches will provide a service capable of carrying up to 42 passengers on the 14-mile journey across the Forth Road Bridge to Edinburgh Park interchange.
With buses every minute, the new service could provide an estimated 10,000 weekly journeys.
If successful, the scheme could support the case for introducing similar services across the UK.
The Forth Bridge trial is one of three projects that were selected following a competitive process.
It will receive a £4.35 million grant through the UK government’s Connected and Autonomous Vehicles Intelligent Mobility Fund.
All the projects will include social behavioural research to further explore how driverless technology can integrate into society.
Scottish Secretary David Mundell said: “The UK Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy is investing in the UK’s future through innovation.
“Autonomous vehicles are just one example of that commitment in driving the UK forward.”
Each pilot combines the strengths of leading names from business, technology and academia – including Jaguar, Land Rover, Transport Scotland and Edinburgh Napier University.
The other schemes are Project Apollo, an autonomous taxi service, which is to be launched in Greenwich, and ServCity, based in London, which will use self-driving Land Rover Discovery vehicles.
