Canada’s first fully electric autonomous shuttle to be used on public roads will hit the streets near Montreal this September, as part of a 12-month pilot project.

The project will demonstrate the feasibility of the autonomous 15-passenger vehicle, which will drive itself around a two-kilometre loop in the city of Candiac south of Montreal.

Its route will include stops at City Hall and various businesses, and it will depart from a bus terminal. The vehicle’s maximum speed will be 25 km/h, reports the CBC.

An operator will be on board the shuttle at all times to take control if necessary, and to answer any questions passengers may have. When the snow begins to fall, the experiment will continue, but with no passengers on-board, as the vehicle’s real-world winter testing begins.

“We think the technology is there, it’s safe to put out on public roads,” Quebec Transport Minister André Fortin told the CBC. “This is a project that is safe for the users, safe also for pedestrians, cyclists and people who may interact with the minibus itself.”

The $400,000 shuttle is built by NAYVA Technologies and will be operated by global transit authority Keolis, which is covering the cost of the $750,000 pilot project. The Quebec government is contributing $350,000 to the project as well.