Visit to Toei’s Self-Driving Bus

On June 19, Governor Koike visited a rotary near the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan) in Koto Ward to ride a self-driving bus, which is expected to be put into service.

After the ride, Governor Koike stated, “I listened to the explanation and confirmed the functions while riding the bus, and I felt completely at ease. This is the first autonomous bus for Toei Bus. I hope that through repeated demonstration tests—with improvements to be made each time—it will steadily evolve into a safer and more accurate-running system, ensuring reliable operation.”

She then pointed out, “The shortage of bus drivers is a truly critical issue. Losing local transportation would have a major impact on the daily lives of Tokyo residents. In that sense, we have very high hopes for autonomous driving. We can also expect rapid, continuous technological advancements.

“We want to ensure sustainable transportation for Tokyo residents and local communities well into the future. We also intend to steadily move forward with efforts to carry out the autonomous bus service without falling behind these rapid changes,” the governor emphasized.