About
What is Harlander?
Harlander is the first self-driving passenger service in Northern Ireland and Ireland.
It provides last mile connectivity on a route where it just wouldn’t be viable to operate a regular bus, therefore supporting people who take public transport to get to their final destination. The vehicle is like a minibus, capable of carrying up to 9 members of the public at any one time. It is electric powered, low-noise and designed utilising the latest zero-emission technology.
In line with UK law, a safety operator will be on board at all times.
What is the goal of the Harlander project?
Harlander is a pioneer
It will help people to understand how a modern transport option can complement the city’s existing public transport system and better connect people to key destinations within Belfast Harbour Estate.
The outcomes of the Harlander project will be used by the UK Government to inform further autonomous service rollouts in real-world environments, for the benefit of urban and rural communities and the environment.
Why the Belfast Harbour Estate?
Harlander is one of the many innovative projects being rolled-out across the harbour estate.
Belfast Harbour Estate is the perfect location for Harlander as it is a fully controlled and closely monitored environment. This makes it the ideal place to operate the kinds of autonomous technology that will provide seamless intra-port connectivity and ensure everyone has convenient access to Titanic Quarter railway halt.
The estate is also full of exciting business, social and cultural developments that continue to attract increasing numbers of entrepreneurs, employees, students, residents and tourists. From commuters travelling to Catalyst to students attending Belfast MET, residents of The Arc and visitors enjoying the Maritime Mile, Harlander is part of a more convenient, more environmentally and more community-minded way of life.
Who’s driving the Harlander project?
Harlander has been developed by a consortium led by Belfast Harbour
The consortium, led by Belfast Harbour includes eVersum UK, Oxa Ltd, Angoka, BT and Horiba Mira and is backed by the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV), APC, UK and Innovate UK, the UK’s national innovation agency that supports businesses in developing exciting new products, processes, and services.
From initial project conceptualisation through to implementation, the Harlander team has had ongoing discussions and engagement with a wide variety of Queen’s Island stakeholders, ensuring that everyone is aware, informed and inspired about the potential of this ground-breaking project.