The second year of autonomous driving electric bus trial operation has begun in Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture.

NTT West Corporation (Shiga Branch Manager: Seiwa Fujioka, hereinafter referred to as NTT West) will implement the "FY2026 Shiga Smart Access autonomous driving Challenge Project" (hereinafter referred to as "this project") of Shiga Prefecture (Governor: Taizo Mikazuki).
Together with Macnica (Representative Director and President: Kazumasa Hara, hereinafter referred to Macnica), a world leader in autonomous driving electric buses, we will conduct our second autonomous electric bus demonstration operation in Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture, for 32 days from Monday, October 12 to Sunday, November 15, 2026, with the aim of solving regional issues such as "maintaining and revitalizing a autonomous driving network" in Shiga Prefecture.
In fiscal year 2026, building on the results of the trial operation in fiscal year 2025, the operating route will be extended to the moat area of Hikone Castle, a representative tourist attraction in Shiga Prefecture. In addition, new features will be introduced, such as sightseeing and ride guidance using AI avatars and a digital stamp rally to encourage sightseeing in the surrounding area. At the same time, technical improvements will be made, such as the introduction of a signal coordination system at some intersections and the avoidance of on-street parking, to further verify a safer and more practical autonomous driving service.

1. Background/Purpose
In Shiga Prefecture, the Shiga Regional Transportation Vision has been formulated and efforts are underway to maintain and revitalize a sustainable transportation network in response to changing social conditions. Meeting diverse travel needs with existing public transportation alone is difficult, and the realization of autonomous driving is important for maintaining and revitalizing regional transportation, especially in addressing the increasingly severe shortage of bus drivers.

Therefore, in order to put the technology into practical use within the prefecture, a survey was conducted in fiscal year 2024, and the area surrounding Hikone Castle, which aims to be registered as a World Heritage Site, was selected as a model case. In fiscal year 2025, the first demonstration run of an autonomous driving EV bus (round trip between Hikone Station and Irohamatsu Parking Lot) was conducted on the "Hikone Castle Route" in Hikone City.
Building on these results, and with an eye on the 2027 Destination Campaign, we will collaborate with Hikone City to advance the technology and improve social acceptance while conducting trial operations. Our goal is to create a "fun and green mode of transportation" that will become a symbol of a walkable city, contributing to the revitalization of public transportation as a whole and enhancing the city's appeal.
Through this trial operation, we will demonstrate the effectiveness of autonomous driving and the appeal of urban development centered on public transportation, verify its potential as a means of solving regional transportation challenges, and use this to guide efforts toward introducing new mobility solutions throughout the prefecture.

2. Overview
We will be conducting a trial run of an autonomous driving electric bus on the "Hikone City Hikone Castle Route" in the following areas and during the following periods.
Additionally, during the regular operating period from Wednesday, October 14th to Sunday, November 15th, the train will be open to the general public, including residents of the prefecture and visitors.

(1) Overview of this project
● Implementing body: Shiga Prefecture
● Operated by: NTT West Corporation, Macnica
● Demonstration details: Aiming to achieve Level 4, this project will conduct demonstration operations at Level 2 (with driver on board).
● Operating area: Hikone City, Hikone Castle route (see Appendix 2)
● Demonstration period: 32 days from Monday, October 12, 2026 to Sunday, November 15, 2026
Note 1) Monday, October 12th will be a trial ride for children, and Tuesday, October 13th will be a test ride event for invited guests only.
Note 2) Service will be suspended all day on October 17th (Sat), November 3rd (Tue), and November 8th (Sun).
● Vehicle used: EVO3 autonomous driving electric bus manufactured by Navya Mobility.
- Passenger capacity of 9 people in the trial operation
- Speed less than 18 km/h

Figure 1. autonomous driving EV bus vehicle

(2) General operation
● Implementation period: From Wednesday, October 14, 2026 to Sunday, November 15, 2026
Note: Service will be suspended all day on October 17th (Sat), November 3rd (Tue), and November 8th (Sun).
On Sunday, October 18th, the bus will turn around at the Iroha Matsu parking lot.
● Operating schedule: 8 services from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on both weekdays and holidays (see Appendix 2)
● Reservations: Reservations can be made using the reservation service "LocoBus". (See Appendix 2)
*There are a limited number of same-day boarding slots available even without a reservation.
● Reservation start date: Thursday, October 1, 2026
● Fare: Free

3. New initiatives for fiscal year 2026
(1) Route extension - into the moat of Hikone Castle -
The route will be extended from the round trip route (approximately 1.5 km) from Hikone Station to City Hall to Irohamatsu Parking Lot in fiscal year 2025 to approximately 3.0 km from Hikone Station to Irohamatsu Parking Lot to Hikone Castle to Otemae Parking Lot to Hikone Station in fiscal year 2026. By extending the route to the moat area of Hikone Castle, a representative tourist attraction of Shiga Prefecture, the aim is to improve the flow of tourists and create a lively atmosphere in the city center.

(2) Improvement of the technical aspects of vehicle functions, etc.
Towards practical application, we will work on improving the following driving technologies.
● Avoiding parked vehicles: We will verify the function that detects obstacles such as parked vehicles on the road and safely avoids them.
● Traffic signal coordination system development: A system will be developed at some intersections along the route that allows vehicles to receive traffic signal information and automatically control their passage through and stopping at intersections.

(3) Introduction of AI avatars
Onboard the autonomous driving EV bus, an AI avatar will provide boarding guidance and tourist information about the area around Hikone Castle. Through multilingual support and interactive communication, we aim to enhance the convenience and hospitality experience for visitors, thereby increasing added value.

(4) Implementation of a digital stamp rally
In conjunction with the use of autonomous driving electric buses, a digital stamp rally will be held where participants can receive a special Hikonyan-designed digital reward (NFT) by touring spots around Hikone Castle and making purchases in Hikone City. This smartphone-based sightseeing plan aims to promote the use of autonomous driving buses and revitalize local tourism.

4. Roles of each company
● Shiga Prefecture: Project Entity
● Hikone City: Cooperation in coordinating and providing demonstration and implementation fields, and coordinating with stakeholders.
● NTT West Corporation: Overall management of demonstration projects, engineering for the introduction of autonomous driving systems, introduction of digital stamp rallies, surveys, etc.
● Macnica, Inc.: Engineering and support for the introduction of autonomous driving systems, establishment of operator team structures, etc.
● Omi Taxi Co., Ltd.: Operational safety and security services, remote monitoring services

5. Future Developments
Based on the results of this demonstration run, we will identify the challenges and countermeasures necessary for the social implementation of Level 4 autonomous driving, and continue to conduct demonstration runs with the aim of achieving the social implementation of Level 4 autonomous driving.
Furthermore, we will accumulate knowledge while undertaking initiatives to enhance added value, such as route extensions and the use of AI avatars and digital stamp rallies, and will verify the potential of using autonomous driving in regional transportation networks to stimulate new demand, such as promoting the use of public transportation and creating vibrancy in tourism and urban areas.

*The information contained in the news release is current as of the date of the announcement. Please note that at this time, the information may differ from the information as of the date of the announcement.

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