NAVYA equips Japan’s first public service of autonomous mobility in the city of Sakai

In April 2020, the city of Sakai will put autonomous electric shuttles into operation for the first time in Japan, NAVYA Autonom Shuttle.

To achieve this, the city has joined forces with the specialists SB Drive Co, Ltd., a subsidiary of SoftBank Corp dedicated to autonomous mobility, and Macnica Co., a Japanese electronics and digital solutions group, which will provide support in operations.

The city of Sakai will use NAVYA's Autonom Shuttles and SB Drive's Fleet Management System called “Dispatcher” which can simultaneously and remotely monitor the operation of several self-driving vehicles. The autonomous shuttles will begin to be operated by Macnica on routes that connect medical facilities, post offices, schools and the city's banks.

“We are delighted to be able to announce this first service only 6 months after obtaining the first permission to drive on public roads in Japan. It is the result of a longstanding partnership with SB Drive that paves the way for us in Japan,” explained Henri Coron, CBDO of NAVYA.

This new autonomous mobility service is a response to the societal challenges facing the city of Sakai, and Japan in general. New forms of mobility are needed in the face of an ageing population and a shortage of bus and taxi drivers.

This tripartite partnership aim is to create an environment in which residents can move around easily by operating autonomous buses. Sakai, SB Drive and Macnica recently concluded a cooperation agreement to revitalise the region and industry, and also to improve the daily lives of residents through a new mobility service.

The secretariat of Japan's Economic Revitalisation Bureau recently reorganised the transportation facilities according to the environmental conditions of each region. As a result, businesses and local governments considering the use of autonomous vehicles can do so.