On your next visit to Japan, you may wonder why some of its taxi drivers do not have their hands on the steering wheels. In November, Japan-based tech start-up Tier IV will launch the country’s first Level 4 self-driving taxi service.

Level 4 autonomous vehicles can handle most normal driving conditions, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

These cars will implement safety measures like pulling over and stopping if they encounter situations they cannot handle, such as extreme weather, according to EPA’s guidelines on green vehicles.

In the case of Tier IV’s robotaxi, the person in the driver’s seat will take over in the event of such situations. Otherwise, the person will mostly only be supervising the autonomous vehicles to ensure their safe operation.

The vehicles, which look like sleek grey minivans, will run on demand between Tokyo Teleport Station, Kokusai Tenjijo Station and Miraikan Museum.

On Aug 20, Tier IV announced that it had been chosen by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (Meti) to provide autonomous robotaxis and trucks.

The project received the maximum grant amount of US.5 million (S.9 million) in fiscal year 2024.

Tier IV will also implement a reservation and dispatch system for the taxi service. 

“We aim to package everything from the vehicle to the system so that we can start commercial operation of autonomous taxis within a few months of starting the project,” said Mr Shinpei Kato, Tier IV’s founder, president, chief executive and chief technology officer.

The Japanese government aims to have Level 4 autonomous transportation services in over 100 municipalities by 2027.

Source: The Straits Times