This presentation explores the technical and operational foundations enabling the transition from supervised to fully driverless (SAE Level-4) public transport systems. Drawing on real-world deployments across Europe and the U.S., including the first approved driverless bus operation in Stavanger, Norway, the session will focus on how automated driving systems achieve reliability, safety, and scalability without a safety driver onboard. Key topics will include system architecture, redundancy strategies, remote operations, and safety validation processes required for driverless approval. The presentation will also highlight lessons learned from multi-year passenger operations and how these insights inform scalable deployment models across different cities and environments.

• How to transition from safety driver to fully driverless operations: real-world insights into the step-by-step evolution from safety driver presence to fully automated public transit service
• What it takes to obtain driverless approval: key elements of safety validation, testing and regulatory alignment required for deployment
• How remote operations support driverless systems: the role of remote monitoring and intervention in ensuring safe and efficient operations
• How safety is ensured without a driver onboard: understanding system architecture, redundancy and the key mechanisms that enable reliable driverless operations
• How automated bus applications differ across cities and use cases: real-world examples of deployment scenarios and how systems are adapted to diverse environments