Japan - Active

Ibaraki Kotsu

Regional bus operator running the Hitachi BRT, which on 2025-02-03 became Japan's first mid-size route bus in Level 4 commercial operation on a dedicated busway. Company staff still ride on board; the stated goal is an unstaffed route bus within FY2026.

Headquarters
Mito, Ibaraki, Japan
Parent
not published
Backers and partners
Advanced Mobility (Senshin Mobility), AIST, JARI, Japan Research Institute, METI, MLIT
Founded
not published
Vehicles
Isuzu Erga Mio (mid-size bus)
Technology
Level 4 automated operation on a 6.1 km dedicated BRT lane; system developed with the RoAD to the L4 Theme 2 consortium. Max speed about 40 km/h.
Website
not published

Cities

Hitachi - Public rides with a safety operatorHitachi

Timeline

  1. Hitachi: Public rides with a safety operator - Level 4 (specified automated operation) commercial route bus service starts after Ibaraki Public Safety Commission permit (2024-12-18); company staff still on board. source

Announced

  • Announcement Hitachi: Route bus operation with no Ibaraki Kotsu staff on board Announced . source
Profile sources (1)
  1. Longest-distance and first mid-size bus Level 4 commercial operation in Japan (press release) - Ibaraki Kotsu / RoAD to the L4 consortium, 24 Jan 2025

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