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Mobility Working Group (1st)

Overview

  • Date and time: December 5, 2023 (Tue) from 9:45 to 11:15
  • Location: Online
  • Agenda:
    1. Opening
    2. Content
      1. Holding of the mobility Working Group
      2. Discussion points for social implementation of automated driving services using new digital technologies such as mobility
      3. Holding of the Sub-Working Group on Review of Social Rules for automated driving vehicles in age of AI
      4. Report on the status of discussions at each meeting
        • Efforts to Date for Digital Administrative and Fiscal Reform
        • Status of consideration for the formulation of the National Comprehensive Development Plan for Digital Lifeline
        • About the public transportation Re-design Realization Conference in area
      5. Other
    3. Exchange of opinions
    4. Adjournment

Materials

Summary of proceedings

At the beginning, Chief Researcher Mori gave the following address at the opening of the working group.
In the midst of a rapidly declining population, maintaining and strengthening mobility services is an imminent reality in Issue, and it is necessary to consider the commercialization of technologies that support mobility in area, such as automated driving vehicles. At the "2nd Digital Administrative and Fiscal Reform Conference" held on November 22, Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio instructed relevant ministers to accelerate the necessary environmental development for social rules in automated driving and the active commercialization of mobility services. As the chief of the mobility Working Group, I would like to make efforts to compile a new "Mobility Roadmap." I would like to ask all participants for their positive opinions.

1. How to proceed with the mobility Working Group and Sub-Working Group

Based on Materials 2 and 3, the Secretariat explained the issues of the mobility Working Group and the holding of the Sub-Working Group.

  • The mobility Working Group will establish a direction to promote the commercialization of automated driving, drones, service robots, etc., and will identify points of contention to solve various Issue. Issue and points of contention are described in Material 2, page 6 onwards.
  • Various meetings are held by each ministry and agency, but additional matters to be considered and interdependent Issue that are difficult to be considered by each ministry and agency alone are considered in an integrated manner.
  • We would like to summarize it as Issue 2024 (tentative name) while clarifying the Mobility Roadmap issues, examination system, and schedule.
  • Each ministry and agency will update every fiscal year whether examination and countermeasures are advancing.

2. Status of review by each meeting

Each ministry and agency explained the status of discussions at each council on mobility services.

  • Digital Administrative and Fiscal Reform Conference (Reference 4-1): In the midst of structural changes such as population decline and declining birthrate and aging population, it is an urgent Issue to respond to demand by making good use of limited supply capacity. Transportation is positioned as one of the fields in which it is urgent to review administrative and fiscal systems from the user's point of view and to maintain and strengthen services that make the maximum use of digital. We will improve the quality of services while promoting efficiency by utilizing the characteristics of digital, thoroughly review the regulation and systems necessary for that, and implement effective EBPM. The Digital Administrative and Fiscal Reform Conference will serve as the control tower and promote various conferences, aiming to compile a report around June next year. In the 2nd Issue Excavation Dialogue, we delved into Issue from a wide range of knowledge about taxis, automated driving, etc. At the 2nd Conference, we confirmed the progress of efforts to date and decided to continue discussions on ensuring transparent and fair examination procedures for the commercialization of automated driving. In this way, we will accelerate the necessary environmental development toward the active commercialization of new mobility services.
  • National Comprehensive Plan for Digital Lifeline Development (Reference 4-2): In order to spread the benefits of digital throughout Japan within 10 years, the National Comprehensive Plan for Digital Lifeline Development is scheduled to be formulated within this fiscal year. The Early Harvest Project, which will start social implementation within fiscal 2024, has started efforts such as the establishment of digital information distribution routes and drones routes, and digitalization of infrastructure management. The first meeting was held in June this year and the second meeting was held in September this year. The key point of the interim report is to identify candidates for advanced area and digital lifelines to be developed. In order to achieve efficient and intensive social implementation without vertical budget execution, we will proceed in cooperation with related ministries and agencies.
  • Area's public transportation Re-design Realization Conference (Material 4-3): Three meetings have been held so far. While it is to realize a society in which no one is left behind, given the severe situation of transportation operators, including the labor shortage, cooperation with various fields, including related ministries and agencies, and the use of digital technology are essential to promote it. Through the three meetings, we obtained a common recognition that it is necessary to acquire and utilize data related to the actual state of movement and to have a control tower function to lead the re-design of area transportation. In the future, opinions of experts and different examination area for each Issue will be further embodied, and a summary will be prepared around April 2024.

3. Exchange of opinions

We received the following opinions from experts and related automated driving on the overall social implementation to ministries and agencies.

Visualization of demand and business model

  • Experts
    • It is necessary to consider whether to focus on specific domestic circumstances or to emphasize a global perspective.
    • In automated driving, rapid introduction is necessary, especially in rural areas, but aggressive measures such as the introduction of ride-sharing are necessary based on the introduction cost and the Issue of digital use.
    • As the population decreases, the use of digital technology becomes necessary, and the introduction of automated driving and the accumulation of digital data are important.
    • Social acceptability can be ensured by corresponding to a different Issue for each classification such as small and medium-sized city, local city, and large city.
    • It is also necessary to create new rules that match the perspective of users and new technologies, not the perspective of business operators.
    • When introducing both automated driving vehicles services, the risk of breakdown and suspension of operation is large, so it is necessary to cooperate with other mobility to complement it.
    • Self-driving mobility is effective in regions where the population is decreasing and aging. The key is whether we can capture demand in a more granular manner and place a small mobility in a place where the operation rate is high.
    • In order to ensure the business feasibility in the introduction of automated driving, it is necessary to expand the parameter in order to recover the initial investment such as development cost. For that purpose, it is also necessary to consider the standardization and commonality of specifications that do not depend on the business area. Not only cost but also support for technology acquisition is important.
    • In the robot use cases, there are areas where we have been able to monetize, including surrounding environments, so we will share it if necessary.
    • The use of mobile data maintenance to promote the visualization of demand should be steadily advanced with an eye to the future use of mobility policies such as the reduction of accidents, the reduction of CO2, and the use in the event of disasters, as well as automated driving.
  • Relevant ministries and agencies
    • We would like to present policies that are in line with the actual conditions of each area.
    • We believe that it is important to distinguish between domestic and global discussions, and to share and standardize technologies. We would like to continue to lead the development of international standards.
    • We recognize the importance of an early awareness of architecture and global standards.

Reduction of installation costs for both automated driving vehicles

  • Experts
    • The required level of automatization and the problems of use cases and cost are also important, and not only unmanned operation but also multi-functionalization of the person who operates the system should be added as a viewpoint.

Maintenance of driving environment

  • Experts
    • Since new environmental infrastructure is required, it is essential to share infrastructure costs. In addition, mobility, digitalization, and energy are considered as a whole, and Linked Open, which is a state in which supply and demand are matched and data connections is possible, is basic.
    • It is also necessary to create criteria for judging the effectiveness and public nature of public investments and whether automated driving can cope with difficult driving environments.
    • It is essential to improve the running environment, and maintenance and management of facilities in the infrastructure should also be examined.
    • Regarding the introduction of vehicles, the concentrated introduction to one place should be considered. At least three vehicles including spare vehicles are necessary. Maintenance measures and renewal of sensors, etc. should also be considered.
    • It is important to develop infrastructure to increase transportation capacity and speed.
    • In the field of robotics, we are considering promoting the introduction of robots and reducing initial costs by digitalization the environments of facilities. We would like to promote cooperation in the development of indoor and outdoor environments.
    • It is important for automated driving vehicles to share the situation of other moving bodies in real time at intersections and merging points.
    • It is important to consider the overall architecture of social implementation.
    • Systems for service infrastructure governance design, in particular, interoperability of digital infrastructure and ensuring safety in cyberspace should be emphasized.
  • Relevant ministries and agencies
    • We would like to contribute to the improvement of communication environments toward the social implementation of automated driving in cooperation with related ministries and agencies.
    • We would like to continue to work on the technical development of vehicles in cooperation with infrastructure development by accumulating data based on various use cases.
    • We would like to discuss various approval procedures in an integrated manner in cooperation with related ministries and agencies and realize smooth procedures.
    • Driving environment maintenance technology is not limited to new technology, and it is possible to reduce costs by separating pedestrians and cars.
    • Overall examination including software and rule making is important.

Coordinated control

  • Experts
    • At present, we are studying cooperative control in cooperation with Digital Agency. We would like to provide the knowledge and know-how obtained in this conference.
  • Relevant ministries and agencies
    • In light of the importance of the Road-Vehicle Coordination System based on China's efforts, we would like to proceed with necessary examinations among the means of traffic management possessed by the police.

Social Rules

  • Experts
    • The creation of a legal framework is important, and should be carried out by considering the arrangement of Issue based on logical grounds and the consistency and unification with existing laws. If it deviates, industrial past assets, knowledge and know-how cannot be utilized, and it will affect the spread and expansion.
    • Regarding rule-making, it is a good opportunity to reform the digital premise.
  • Relevant ministries and agencies
    • We would like to consider positive responses to the relationship of responsibility in the event of an accident and the traffic rules that serve as a Issue for automated driving vehicles traffic, including from the viewpoint of driving efficiency.
    • We will work to ensure that the ongoing discussions in the industry about what to do in the event of an accident are properly connected with the discussions in the newly established sub-working group.
    • The revision of laws related to automobile liability insurance and the Road Transport Vehicle Law has been completed, and we would like to cooperate toward achieving the goals of the conference.

General

  • Experts
    • Cooperation with other areas should be considered. It should be advanced in conjunction with discussions being held in other areas such as carbon neutrality issues, disaster risk management issues, and EV introduction cost reduction.
    • It is necessary to maintain and strengthen mobility services in area, but it is important to consider various aspects, not limited to that point of view.
    • It is necessary to carefully consider the operation after the introduction of automated driving, in particular, consideration for the elderly and policies for digital use.
    • It is important to connect with services provided by humans while looking ahead to the development of digitalization and AI.
    • We should grasp the future Issue of labor shortage in the transportation industry and discuss the effects of introducing automated driving including transportation capacity.
    • A wide range of advantages can be obtained by using automated driving, such as CO2 reduction and measures for disasters.
    • Discussions on automated driving at various conferences should be incorporated into the overall Japanese road map.
  • Relevant ministries and agencies
    • Although various improvements have been made in the service itself due to the improvement of digital technology, the service has not been realized. Therefore, we would like to advance discussions to break through the current situation.
    • The time frame required for complete resolution and improvement differs for each issue. Precisely because the issues are interdependent, it is a shortcut to consider which level to aim at based on the characteristics of each issue.
    • We would like to prioritize early harvest projects and promote efforts in cooperation with other related ministries and agencies based on the knowledge obtained in the process.
    • We would like to proceed with the Re-Design Conference in response to the indication that it is important to maintain mobility services in area and to secure leaders of supply capacity.
    • We would like to promote research mobility on the construction of smart development platform in cooperation with related ministries and agencies.
    • I have the impression that many meetings have been held, but this problem covers a wide range of areas in Issue, and I think that the fact that they have started discussions at the same time should be taken as an opportunity.
    • The various Issue that make up this issue are highly interdependent with each other. I think a roadmap is exactly what is needed to clarify the timing and achieve results as a whole while reading the correlations between these Issue.
    • In order for these various issues and discussion forums to work together to solve problems, it is necessary to clarify a common vision for the entire automated driving and to unite the power of the Cabinet Office and each Ministry. I would like to proceed with discussions with the aim of accelerating the commercialization and industrialization of the region, which has become technically and institutionally possible.

Summary

At the closing of the meeting, Chief Researcher Mori summarized the working group as a whole as follows.

  • I would like you to sort out what kind of discussion should be considered for the next working group.
  • I would like you to think seriously about smooth transportation in area with a flexible idea without being bound by existing framework systems.
  • We would like the Secretariat to hold a sub-working group meeting as soon as possible.
  • We would like to see flexible consideration of what measures will be taken to avoid being pointed out as vertical by experts.

End

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