STAGECOACH are set to become the first travel operator in the UK to trial self-driving buses.

The firm which transports thousands of West Fifers to their destinations every week is to produce a single decker which will operate without someone behind the wheel.

They are now in partnership with bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis Limited and tech company Fusion Processing for the production process.

And driverless coaches could be trialled by the end of the year.

Sam Greer, bus engineering director for Stagecoach UK, said: “Stagecoach has long been at the heart of innovation within the bus industry and this is an exciting trial that will deliver the UK’s first fully autonomous single deck bus.

“We look forward to working with our partners on this project which we believe could, in time, help improve safety and efficiency within our depots, and over the longer term, help transform bus travel in the future.”

Work is ongoing and is expected to be finished by the end of the year.

The bus will be used without a driver in depots for manoeuvres such as parking, fuelling and washing.

Legal restrictions prevent the vehicle being used without a driver when passengers are on board but in future the technology is expected to be used more widely.

Stagecoach said sensors in place to enable driver-less journeys will also help improve safety when a driver is behind the wheel, by warning of cyclists or pedestrians in blind spots or anyone or anything that is unexpectedly close to the bus.

The system uses several sensors – including radar, laser, camera and ultrasound – along with satellite navigation to detect and avoid objects and plan routes.