"Driverless Taxis Hit the Road"… Japan to Launch 'Unmanned Taxi' Era Next Year

Waymo Plans to Expand Driverless Taxi Fleet to 100 Vehicles in Tokyo

Following the United States, driverless autonomous taxis will begin commercial operations in Tokyo, Japan starting next year.

Unmanned taxis to keep existing fare system... Expected to address transportation gaps

Autonomous taxi operated by Waymo, a subsidiary of Google, currently in pilot operation in the United States. Photo by Yonhap News

According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun on the 15th, Waymo held a press conference in Tokyo on this day and announced plans to launch commercial operations of unmanned robotaxis (fully autonomous driverless taxis) in the Tokyo metropolitan area in 2027. Waymo is an autonomous driving company under Alphabet, the parent company of Google.

Waymo plans to operate its robotaxis using a fully driverless system with no human operator on board. The vehicles will use onboard cameras, radar, and LiDAR sensors to recognize their surroundings and collect mapping data.

Tekedra Mawakana, co-CEO of Waymo, told reporters, "When providing services to passengers, we prioritize a fully driverless autonomous driving approach," adding, "(Our autonomous vehicles) are smoothly adapting to both Tokyo's congested areas and its narrow alleyways."

Waymo plans to gradually expand the number of unmanned taxis in operation to 100. Taxi fares will be based on the current fare system, and passengers will be able to hail vehicles via either the 'GO' taxi dispatch app or the 'Waymo' app. Ichiro Kawanabe, chairman of Nihon Kotsu, said, "Robotaxis may hold the answer to longstanding issues faced by taxi operators, such as accidents, worker shortages, and transportation gaps."

Need to establish relevant systems and address public concerns

Photo by Getty Images Bank

However, for the smooth commercialization of unmanned taxis, revising relevant laws and regulations as well as addressing public concerns remain key tasks. The Nihon Keizai Shimbun noted that operating driverless vehicles requires the approval of security commissions from each local government, and emphasized the need to establish concrete regulations regarding accident response and other issues.

Addressing public safety concerns is also a challenge. In a public opinion survey conducted by research firm MM Souken in June, more than half of respondents expressed worries about the safety of driverless vehicles. Accordingly, there is a growing consensus that efforts to alleviate public anxiety over autonomous vehicles are essential ahead of commercialization.

Meanwhile, Waymo is currently operating unmanned taxis in 15 cities in the United States, and is preparing to launch services in London, UK, as well as Munich, Germany.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.