SENDAI - East Japan Railway Co. unveiled to the media on Thursday a highly autonomous Level 4 self-driving bus set to begin runs on a special road built on a section of the quake-damaged Kesennuma Line train tracks in Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan.
With a maximum speed of about 60 kilometers per hour, it is the fastest driverless bus at Level 4, the second highest in a five-level classification, in Japan, according to the firm, known as JR East. Such buses can conduct all driving tasks without human intervention under certain conditions.
The bus is scheduled to run on Fridays and Saturdays from this week through July 4 on a 15.5-km route along the Kesennuma Line, which has been partially converted to a dedicated Bus Rapid Transit system roadway after the rail line was devastated in the March 2011 massive earthquake.
During Thursday's demonstration, the bus departed from Yanaizu Station in Tome with a driver present but not touching the steering wheel.
It later accelerated to nearly 60 kph on a straight section before slowing down and stopping at a designated point at Rikuzen-Yokoyama Station in the same city.
The vehicle was able to pinpoint its position with high accuracy by recognizing the magnetic markers embedded at two-meter intervals along the route.
Yoshihisa Nishimura, a JR East executive officer, said, "This bus offers a comfortable ride and incorporates various safety features. We hope passengers will use it with complete peace of mind."
