Autonomous a2z Deploys ROii Level 4 Shuttle in Japan's Hyogo

Route and schedule

The shuttle covers about 1.8 km one way, from Kinosaki Onsen Station to near the Kinosaki International Arts Center. It runs from 9 November to 4 December, on weekdays only, three times a day and free of charge. Toyooka, which faces shrinking bus services and a driver shortage because of depopulation and ageing, is launching its first autonomous driving trial. The city will test how a shuttle copes with roads shared by pedestrians and cars, and whether it can improve mobility for residents and visitors.

Consortium and next steps

The project is run by a consortium of Japanese partners. Trading house Kanematsu leads it and handles vehicle introduction and maintenance. Local operator Zentan Bus drives the vehicle in service. Sompo Japan supplies autonomous-driving insurance and its SOMPO ALCS risk assessment solution, while KDDI and KDDI Smart Mobility build the communications and remote monitoring infrastructure.

A2z, Kanematsu and Sompo Japan plan to use the trial data to explore a full Level 4 service in Toyooka and to extend the model to other Japanese municipalities with mountain areas and tourist sites that lack transport options.

The move follows a memorandum of understanding with Kanematsu in August 2025 and a participation in an autonomous taxi trial in Naruto, Tokushima, in February this year. CEO Han Ji-hyung said the trial lets the company verify ROii's performance and stability in a different traffic environment, and that it will build a foundation for commercial Level 4 services in Japanese regional transit.