Sakaimachi, Ibaraki Prefecture (Mayor: Masahiro Hashimoto), in cooperation with BOLDLY Corporation (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Tomoki Saji; hereinafter "BOLDLY"), a subsidiary of SoftBank Corp. Corporation, and Macnica (Head Office: Kohoku-ku, Yokohama; President: Kazumasa Hara, hereinafter "Macnica"), autonomous driving will introduce three "NAVYA ARMA" buses (made by the French company Navya), which will begin operating on a regular, scheduled route as a daily route bus service on November 26, 2020. Three "NAVYA ARMA" buses (made by Navya, France) will be introduced and begin regular, fixed-route operation on November 26, 2020 as daily route buses. This is the first time in Japan that a municipality autonomous driving has put buses to practical use on public roads! ^{note (supplementary information) symbol1} The following is a list of the most common problems with the

Sakaimachi is home to the Sakai Sympathy Hall NA・KA・MA (Sakaimachi Working Youth Home), which is equipped with a multi-purpose hall, meeting rooms, and tennis courts, as well as the Kagishi no Eki, an activity base for regional revitalization in Sakaimachi. "NAVYA ARMA" will operate on a route of about 5 kilometers round trip connecting Sakai. It is possible to ride for free from "Sakai Sympathy Hall NA/KA/MA" or "Kaigan no Eki Sakai" (passenger capacity is 9). 8 flights will be operated from As soon as preparations are complete, we will start operating two trains and increase the number of flights per day to 16 ^*2. In addition, the number of buses and routes will be gradually expanded according to the needs of residents, and bus stops will be set up at facilities closely related to daily life, such as supermarkets, medical facilities, and elementary schools, to increase convenience.

BOLDLY operates autonomous driving buses and manages the operation of autonomous driving buses with the autonomous driving vehicle operation platform "Dispatcher" that can simultaneously manage and monitor the operation of multiple autonomous driving vehicles from a remote location. increase. "Dispatcher" is equipped with functions such as status monitoring of autonomous driving buses, emergency response, vehicle inspection before driving, and driving instruction functions, and can be used for safe operation management. In addition, BOLDLY performed the work necessary for running, such as selecting and setting the route, collecting 3D map data, setting obstacle detection sensors and autonomous driving vehicles.

Macnica, as the exclusive domestic agent for French Navya products, provided three ``NAVYA ARMA'' units to Sakai-machi. Additionally, based on our knowledge of autonomous driving technology, we will provide full support for the safe and stable operation of autonomous driving buses in Sakai Town, focusing on technical aspects, such as maintenance of vehicles and systems as a technical service and solution provider. .

Until now, Sakaimachi has faced structural issues such as declining vitality due to population decline and aging, and a vulnerable transportation network. As a result of actively promoting the development of public transportation networks that make use of roads and the development of bases for sports, tourism, welfare, and housing facilities, the population decline is coming to a halt. We introduced "NAVYA ARMA" this time in order to improve the mobility of the town centering on these bases, further increase the population, and eventually promote regional revitalization. In addition, "NAVYA ARMA" falls under the category of green slow mobility ^*3 promoted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. By reducing the burden on the environment and running slowly and frequently, it is expected that it will be useful as a means of transportation for residents, and that the flow of traffic will slow down, improving safety.

In addition, for the exterior of one of the three autonomous driving buses introduced by Sakaimachi, Sakaimachi and BOLDLY adopted a design solicited from the general public with the theme of the Tone River that flows near Sakaimachi. . In addition, the exterior and seat covers of the other two cars use key visuals created by Sakaimachi-born artist Satoshi Utsumi, representing Sakaimachi's concept of "enjoying nature and the near future." is designed with the image of

*1 This is the first time that a vehicle with a seating capacity of 11 or more people will automatically run in most sections without limiting the period as a means of transportation for the general public (according to research by BOLDLY).
*2 Two units will be operated at the same time, and the other one will be charged and maintenance will be performed during that time.
*3 An electric public mobility vehicle with a passenger capacity of four or more that can run on public roads at speeds of less than 20 kilometers per hour.

Operating route

Appearance of autonomous driving bus

*Dispatcher is a trademark of BOLDLY Inc.
*Company names and product/service names mentioned in this press release are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective companies.
*The content, product/service prices, specifications, contact information, and other information described in this press release are current as of the date of the announcement. These information are subject to change without notice.

＜本製品に関するお問い合わせ先＞
株式会社マクニカ　モビリティソリューション事業部
TEL　：045-470-9118
MAIL ：auto-solution@macnica.co.jp

<Inquiries from the press regarding this matter>

株式会社マクニカ　　http://www.macnica.co.jp
経営企画部　広報企画課　宮原　e-Mail：macpr@macnica.co.jp
〒222-8561　横浜市港北区新横浜1-6-3　マクニカ第1ビル
TEL：045-470-9851　FAX：045-470-9853