The Nishi-Nippon Railway Company (Nishitetsu) is running an experimental operation of an autonomous bus service that connects the international and domestic terminals at Fukuoka Airport. The bus driver switches the bus to autonomous mode for a dedicated roadway section, freeing them to focus on safety checks. This trial, which is the second after an initial run in March 2022, aims to test the viability of autonomous buses under various conditions, including rainy weather. The overarching goal of the initiative is to leverage autonomous driving technology to counter a projected driver shortage of up to 30% by around 2035. Source: Nikkei / Nishitetsu
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