Starting in June, the Belgian Limburg municipalities of Lommel and Pelt will become a rest region for smart and autonomous vehicles. Lommel Mayor Bob Nijs (CD&V) and his Pelt counterpart, Dennis Fransen (CD&V), have signed a letter of commitment to that effect. Initially, the test drives will take place at Ford’s test site in Lommel, and later on public roads.
By committing to open their roads to testing self-driving vehicles, the two municipalities are joining the European CCAM Proving Region project in hopes of establishing North Limburg as an innovative mobility region within Europe. The provincial development agency POM Limburg is bringing together various Flemish and Dutch partners to this project, which is led by the technology company imec.
Realistic conditions
Despite significant technological advancements in autonomous vehicles, the number of test vehicles on public roads in Belgium remains limited for the time being.
Public transport company De Lijn recently tested a self-driving minibus in Leuven; Colruyt tested a self-driving van; and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges Authority previously organized the first autonomous truck journey on public roads in Belgium.
Furthermore, Tesla was recently granted permission to test the Tesla FSD system on Belgian roads, an advanced driver-assistance system that allows the vehicle to drive quasi-autonomously, with functions such as steering, staying within the lane, and changing lanes, always under the driver’s constant supervision.
But with the CCAM Proving Region project, where CCAM stands for Connected, Cooperative, and Automated Mobility, the partners aim to change that. As part of the project, companies and research institutions are testing self-driving vehicle technology step by step under realistic conditions.
Across national borders
Before the vehicles are tested on public roads in Lommel and Pelt, they will first undergo a series of tests on closed-off infrastructure, such as the Ford Lommel Proving Ground or the Campus Noord business park in Pelt. Among other things, these tests will examine how the vehicles interact with other road users and how they respond in complex traffic situations.
Due to its location near the Netherlands, tests can also take place across the border, focusing on different traffic rules and digital systems in both countries, in both urban and rural areas, and on highways in Flanders and the Netherlands. In addition, the partners are exploring how to develop a center of expertise on autonomous mobility in the region.
