Japan’s NTT to deploy more than 1,000 autonomous buses and robot taxis
Japanese telecommunications group NTT aims to deploy more than 1,000 self-driving buses and cars across the country by the 2030s, using its nationwide footprint to scale the technology and ease chronic driver shortages in Japan’s rapidly aging society. The company announced on Wednesday it had set up a new unit, NTT Mobility, for deploying and operating autonomous vehicles in partnership with local governments and transportation operators. NTT Mobility President Kota Yamashita told reporters it planned to begin operating level-4 autonomous route buses nationwide by 2028, followed by on-demand buses and robot taxis. Level-4 vehicles can operate without a human driver under defined conditions.