Murray back on the road and open to the public

8 February 2021

Murray the autonomous vehicle is scheduled to return to the roads of Renmark from Tuesday, 9 February for Phase 2 of South Australia’s regional autonomous vehicle trial.

Following the success of Phase 1, which helped gain an understanding of the transport needs of the Renmark community, Phase 2 will offer a new service route, with a focus on Renmark’s tourism industry and providing a scenic drive for tourists and residents. The Phase 2 trial will end in June 2021.

There will be no need to book a ride during Phase 2, as Murray will provide a free hop-on and hop-off service at six bus stops along the 2.4km loop from Murray Avenue to the Fourteenth Street shopping precinct.

The Phase 2 route takes in the Renmark riverfront and key locations including the Renmark Swimming Pool, supermarket and food outlets, aiming to best service people with limited mobility and visitors to Renmark.

The EasyMile EZ10 autonomous electric shuttle bus can carry up to five passengers at a time and will run approximately every 30 minutes on Tuesdays from 10am to 1pm and Wednesdays to Saturdays from 10am to 4pm.

Passengers are required to practice social distancing as far as practical, in line with expert health advice, and sign in prior to entry for contact tracing purposes, either through the COVID SAfe Check-In QR Code function of the my SA GOV smartphone app, or by providing  their details in writing.

If you are feeling unwell with flu-like symptoms, please avoid travelling on Murray.

The trial is a joint project between the Department for Infrastructure and Transport, French autonomous vehicle manufacturer EasyMile, bus operators Keolis Downer, the Renmark Paringa Council and Flinders University.

Murray was recently selected as a finalist for the Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) Australia National Awards 2020, receiving a nomination for the Connected and Automated Vehicle Award.

Nearly 700 people travelled on Murray during Phase 1 of the trial, and were carried more than 2800km.

Further information on Murray and the route can be found at https://www.renmark.ridewithmurray.com.au/