Imperia Launches Italy's First Full-Scale Driverless Shuttle Network in 2026

The Italy Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport has authorized a real-world pilot of driverless shuttle buses in Imperia, a coastal city in Liguria, marking one of the country's most ambitious steps toward automated public transit. The approval sets the stage for three electric autonomous vehicles to begin carrying passengers along a repurposed railway corridor starting April 1, 2026, with free rides during the entire trial period.

Why This Matters

• Service launch: Two shuttles begin manual test runs on March 23, 2026; full autonomous operation of all three vehicles starts April 1.

• Travel time: The 7-minute trip connects Porto Maurizio and Oneglia, two districts historically separated by geography and urban sprawl.

• Cost to riders: Zero. The service remains free throughout the experimental phase, funded by €5 M from Italy's National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).

• Completion deadline: Full line certification is expected by end of June 2026, with summer operations serving as a stress test before potential permanent deployment.

How the System Works

Each shuttle can carry up to 15 passengers and travels at a maximum speed of 25 km/h along a dedicated lane built atop the old railway bed. The vehicles operate alongside a cycling path that runs the length of the city from east to west, creating a multimodal corridor designed to ease car traffic in the historic center.

While the shuttles navigate autonomously, trained stewards will be present on board at all times. Their role is not to drive but to assist passengers, provide route information, and monitor system performance. This human oversight is a regulatory requirement during the trial and reflects Italy's cautious approach to approving Level 4 autonomous vehicles on public roads.

The city has received its third and final shuttle, which will be painted in Imperia's municipal livery. Between now and early April, technicians will complete digital mapping of the entire route, run interface tests with traffic signals, and conduct automated driving trials to fine-tune sensor calibration and obstacle response.

What This Means for Residents

For the roughly 42,000 people living in Imperia, this project could reshape daily mobility. The city's elongated geography has long made cross-town trips inconvenient, especially for those without cars. The new shuttle line offers a direct, emission-free alternative that bypasses congested coastal roads.

Mayor Claudio Scajola described the approval as "a decisive step toward integrating the cycling path with public transport and relieving urban vehicle congestion." The shuttles are intended to function as a "smart bridge" between the two main urban centers, making it feasible to commute, shop, or access services without a car.

Transport Councilor Gianmarco Oneglio emphasized the logistical improvement: "This is not just a novelty. It's a concrete mobility upgrade for users who need to move quickly and sustainably across the city."

Costs and Long-Term Viability

The pilot phase is scheduled to run through at least mid-2026, with official autonomous operations beginning April 1. During this period, the Imperia municipality is covering operational expenses, including €13,416 allocated to Citytouring Srl for January 2026 alone—€2,416 for civil liability insurance and €10,000 for service management.

The project is supported by funding from Italy's National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) to cover broader development and operational costs. Additional project expenses include operational and management costs, project supervision, and infrastructure development, with the total pilot phase investment representing a significant commitment to testing autonomous mobility in an Italian urban context.

Once the trial concludes in mid-2026, city administrators will assess which operational model works best and whether to introduce a fare system. The goal is to transition from experimental to permanent service by late summer, contingent on ridership data, technical reliability, and budget sustainability.

European Context: Lessons from Elsewhere

Imperia is not operating in a vacuum. Several Italian and European cities have tested autonomous shuttles with varying degrees of success.

In Merano, a 2019 pilot with a Navya shuttle through the historic center generated enthusiastic public response, though the project did not advance beyond the test week. Turin launched its "AuToMove" service in October 2025 around the Luigi Einaudi campus, with generally positive feedback, although passengers from the Italian Union of the Blind and Visually Impaired noted that sudden braking in response to obstacles can be jarring, underscoring the importance of seatbelts.

Cesena ran a trial in November 2025 at the fairgrounds, where citizens described the experience as "fun and safe" and expressed interest in seeing the shuttles deployed in the old town. Feedback across these projects consistently highlights that smooth operation matters more to users than top speed, and that public acceptance hinges on perceived safety and real utility rather than novelty.

Internationally, cities like Málaga, Copenhagen, 's-Hertogenbosch, Helsinki, and Trento have integrated autonomous shuttles with intelligent traffic infrastructure, using Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) communication to optimize signal timing and give priority to public transport. Imperia's project includes similar plans: the shuttles will eventually interact with smart traffic lights to ensure seamless passage through intersections, reducing delays and energy consumption.

Technical and Regulatory Milestones

The Ministry's authorization is a regulatory green light, but operational readiness depends on completing several technical tasks. Engineers are now finalizing a high-resolution digital map of the route, essential for the shuttle's onboard sensors to identify lane boundaries, stops, and potential hazards. Traffic signal interfaces are being tested to ensure the vehicles can "read" and respond to light changes, or ideally, communicate with the signals directly.

The shuttles use a combination of LIDAR, cameras, GPS, and ultrasonic sensors to navigate. They are designed to detect pedestrians, cyclists, and obstacles in real time, stopping or rerouting as needed. The low speed limit of 25 km/h is a safety buffer, allowing the system to react to unexpected events without risk of serious injury.

Italian regulations currently require a human supervisor aboard all autonomous vehicles operating in mixed traffic, a rule that will remain in place at least through the end of the trial. If the Imperia experiment proves successful, it could inform national policy on where and how driverless transit can be deployed more broadly.

What Happens Next

On March 23, two shuttles will begin moving in manual mode, with operators at the controls. This phase allows for final route validation and public familiarization. On April 1, all three vehicles switch to autonomous mode, with stewards supervising but not driving.

The trial will run through the summer, capturing data during Imperia's busiest tourist season. City officials will monitor ridership patterns, technical incidents, passenger satisfaction, and integration with existing bus and bike infrastructure.

By late June, the line should be fully certified, and a decision will be made on whether to continue into a second, more permanent phase. If successful, Imperia could become a model for other mid-sized Italian cities looking to modernize transit with limited budgets and constrained urban layouts.

For now, residents and visitors will have a rare opportunity to experience what public transport might look like in the coming decade: electric, automated, and tightly woven into the fabric of the city itself.