Passengers are set to board the bus service in Edinburgh from the spring after it became one of seven autonomous passenger and freight vehicle programmes to win a share of the new funds.

The service, which will receive £10.4m in funding, will be comprised of five self-driving single-decker buses that will carry members of the public between Ferrytoll park and ride in Fife and the Edinburgh Park train and tram interchange via the Forth Road Bridge.

As well as the Edinburgh project, automated shuttles in Belfast and lorries in Sunderland will also get support.

The North East Automotive Alliance will receive £8m to roll out self-driving and remotely piloted HGVs between the Vantec and Nissan sites in Sunderland.

Hub2Hub will receive £13.2m to develop a new, zero emissions, self-driving HGV with Asda and Belfast’s Project Harlander will get £11m to deploy a self-driving shuttle service around Belfast Harbour.

The Department for Transport believes that self...