Navigating the Landscape of Autonomous Buses: Insights in Ibaraki, Japan

Kenichiro Chinen, Mitsutaka Matsumoto () and Ai Chinen
Additional contact information
Kenichiro Chinen: College of Business, California State University, Sacramento, CA 95819, USA
Mitsutaka Matsumoto: Advanced Manufacturing Research Institute (AMRI), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba 305-8565, Japan
Ai Chinen: School of Political Science and Economics, Waseda University, Tokyo 169-8050, Japan

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 8, 1-15

Abstract: The integration of autonomous buses (ABs) in Japan offers a solution to the challenges posed by an aging society, promoting safe and convenient transportation for older adults. In Ibaraki, Japan, AB adoption exemplifies forward-thinking infrastructure development, addressing residents’ needs through partnerships and innovation. Positive perceptions, especially among females in their 60s and 70s, highlight ABs’ role in enhancing safety and trust. This study, based on our interviews in Sakai Town, underscores ABs’ significance in meeting practical needs, while fostering social inclusion. Despite challenges like technology and cost, collaborative efforts and policy interventions can maximize ABs’ potential, ensuring equal access to services and paving the way for a sustainable and inclusive transportation future, benefiting both aging populations and communities.

Keywords: autonomous buses; aging society; social inclusion; innovation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/8/3351/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/8/3351/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:8:p:3351-:d:1377088

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().