NHK has learned that a Tokyo-based company has got the go-ahead for level-four self-driving on a public road. It is the first time for a private company to win such approval at this level.
The company, called Boldly, is a subsidiary of Softbank Corporation. It says it got the approval on Friday from the Tokyo Metropolitan Public Safety Commission.
Boldly will operate buses that can carry up to 10 passengers on an 800-meter stretch of road near Haneda Airport. The buses can run up to a speed of 12 kilometers per hour, but only in good weather with a crewmember on board.
For now, the service will be only available for observer groups and the media with prior reservations. The general public will have to wait.
Japan’s transport ministry categorizes self-driving technology into five levels. At level four, vehicles can run without human drivers under certain conditions related to speed, routes and weather. Level five means full automated driving without limitations on routes.
The government hopes fully autonomous driving will be launched at about 50 locations by around fiscal 2025.