自動運転バス走行に前進 下野市で新年度にも「レベル４」導入目指す 栃木県が取り組み報告

In Tochigi Prefecture, often referred to as a car-dependent society, demonstration experiments of autonomous buses are continuing with support from the national government. In fiscal year 2025, experiments were conducted in three locations: Shimotsuke City, Oyama City, and Nikko City. The results of this year's experiments were reported at the prefectural office on the 23rd. In Shimotsuke City, discussions will proceed with relevant organizations in the new fiscal year toward obtaining Level 4 autonomous driving permits, which would allow for driverless operation under certain conditions. While efforts are underway nationwide, the future of autonomous buses is becoming visible in Tochigi Prefecture as well. (Tatsuo Hashimoto, Head of the Prefectural Transportation Policy Division) "This fiscal year, we received national subsidies and conducted demonstration experiments in three locations. Among these, we saw the possibility of achieving Level 4 autonomous driving for the first time in the prefecture, indicating that the Tochigi Prefecture ABC Project is yielding some results." On the 23rd, the "Unmanned Autonomous Driving Mobility Service Promotion Council" meeting was held at the prefectural office. Autonomous buses operate by covering the actions normally performed by a driver with advanced autonomous driving technology. To address the aging workforce and shortage of drivers, and to maintain local public transportation, efforts are underway nationwide. Sakai Town in Ibaraki Prefecture, Eiheiji Town in Fukui Prefecture, and Matsuyama City in Ehime Prefecture have already introduced "Level 4" autonomous driving, which allows for driverless operation under certain conditions. (Minister Kimi Onoda, speaking in Oyama City in January) "People want to live in their local areas, but without a car, they can't get around. It becomes impossible. Autonomous driving will save public transportation in areas with declining populations, and I want to make this happen as quickly as possible." In Tochigi Prefecture, a verification project called the "ABC Project" was conducted in various locations for four years starting in 2020. Following this, a council was established to continue efforts toward realizing Level 4 autonomous driving. (Associate Professor Kazuya Sakata, Faculty of Regional Design Science, Utsunomiya University) "Tochigi Prefecture is a car-dependent society, and while there are people who need public transportation, many feel it's not readily available. However, with the introduction of these new technologies, I believe that even for people who drive cars regularly, the emergence of autonomous driving as a means of transportation using the roads will change their understanding and awareness of traffic rules. I believe this is a region worth considering in order to make it a more livable place." This year, in addition to Shimotsuke City and Nikko City, demonstration experiments were newly conducted in Oyama City. The route in Oyama City involved 12 daily autonomous bus services on a one-way section of approximately 3 kilometers, connecting the west exit of JR Oyama Station to the Harvest Walk commercial facility. The experiments in Shimotsuke City and Oyama City are being conducted by Michinori Holdings, which owns Kanto Jidosha, a major bus company in the prefecture. Tobu Railway is in charge of the Nikko City experiment, collecting data. (Satoshi Inagawa, Chief of Public Transportation, Prefectural Transportation Policy Division) "This is the third year for Shimotsuke City. It's a region that is consolidating knowledge toward 'Level 4' autonomous driving. This is the first year for Oyama City. Even just conducting demonstration runs of autonomous driving is expensive, but this time, Shimotsuke City and Oyama City, which are leading the way, conducted demonstrations such as vehicle commonality, and also conducted experiments to see how much business costs could be reduced." "Nikko City is implementing it on two routes: the 'Oku-Nikko Low-Pollution Bus' and the 'Chuzenji Onsen' route. They are facing challenges such as a shortage of drivers, and are verifying how autonomous buses can contribute." Shimotsuke City, which is closest to "Level 4" in the prefecture, is implementing measures this fiscal year to reduce "manual intervention," where the driver takes over operation when the system detects danger, as demonstrated in the previous year's demonstration experiment. Specifically, they have created a system that prompts general vehicles to move when they are stopped near bus stops in station rotary areas using LED displays and voice prompts, and a system that transmits information about changing traffic lights to the bus so that it can turn safely at intersections, leading to smoother operation. From April onwards, the aim is to obtain the prefecture's first "Level 4" autonomous driving license, which will allow for driverless operation under certain conditions. Furthermore, in Oyama City, th...