Welcome to our draft Automated Public Transport Services (APTS) specification

Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) and Solihull Council (SMBC) have collaborated on the development of a draft specification for the commissioning of future Automated Public Transport Services (APTS). 

Across 53 pages, this new specification has the aim of both unifying and simplifying the buying and commissioning of future APTS in the UK by providing industry with a clear guide on what will be expected from future buyers of services.  

By aiming to create a common specification for the commissioning future services at this early stage in public transport  Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) evolution we aim to help individual authorities and organisations avoid having to develop separate, fragmented specifications, saving significant cost to buyers. Providing a single, high-quality resource that any future buyer can adapt should support a "commission once, adapt for many" approach, accelerating the safe deployment of automated passenger services.

The ambition is however greater than just benefiting future buyers. The final specification will aim to accelerate commercialisation for suppliers by creating a set of common requirements and expectations amongst service commissioners ensuring suppliers can develop solutions that meet the needs of multiple future customers, rather than responding to huge numbers of varying, under-defined requirements. 

This version (6) is a draft for wider consultation, having been developed and iterated by a core set of stakeholders, but is not proposed to be complete. This draft will serve as a ‘starter for ten’. 

To assist in the next stage of development project partners are now seeking feedback from industry, academia, and future buyers (both public and private sector) to refine the draft specification into a final version for adoption in Spring 2026.

Draft APTS specification

How to provide feedback

We welcome feedback across the following themes, as well as any additional comments, queries and concerns:

1. Format
2. Approach
3. Concept
4. Structure
5. Sections
6. Clauses
7. Future application
8. Development

When responding please ensure you include which sector you represent. 

Feedback on any aspect of this document is warmly invited up to Friday 12 December 2025. Please send your comments to innovation@tfwm.org.uk.

Find out more

An online briefing session will be held from 4:00pm to 5:00pm on Monday 27 October 2025.

Please register for attendance at innovation@tfwm.org.uk.