Nissan plans addresses ‘Taxi Driver Shortage’ in Japan with autonomous ride-share program: All details

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20 vehicles equipped with a safety monitor in the driver's seat. Passengers will have the ability to make reservations for the autonomous ride-share service. Nissan intends to engage in safety-related discussions with the government and proceed with a gradual rollout of the program.

This initiative comes at a time when concerns over the safety of autonomous vehicles have been raised, notably following an incident involving General Motors Co.'s Cruise autonomous driving unit in December. The Cruise unit dismissed top executives after one of its cars struck and dragged a pedestrian in San Francisco. Honda Motor Co.

also cast doubt on a previously announced plan to deploy self-driving cars in central Tokyo by early 2026 in partnership with GM. In response to the challenges posed by an aging population and a dearth of transportation services in suburban areas, Japan's transport ministry has formed a committee to collaborate with local governments and other stakeholders in laying the groundwork for self-driving vehicles. Kazuhiro Doi emphasized the significance of addressing Japan's transportation-related challenges, stating, "Japan is facing a big transportation-related problem, which will get bigger in the future.

There is a lack of suburban taxi and bus services due to a decreasing and aging population. A time may come when there are no more drivers." Nissan's autonomous vehicle ride-share service aims to provide a viable solution to these challenges and contribute to the evolution of transportation in Japan. The company is committed to ensuring the safety and reliability of the autonomous technology through collaboration with the government and a careful, phased approach to implementation.