News

The five parties, Tokyu Bus Corp. (Headquarters: Meguro-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President Executive Officer: Takashi FURUKAWA), Keihin Kyuko Bus Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture; Director and President: Akihiro MORI), PACIFIC CONSULTANTS CO., LTD. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President Executive Officer: Osamu OMOTO), NKB Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Takayuki TOYA) and Tokyo City University (Corporate headquarters: Setagaya-ku, Tokyo; Dean: Tomonari YASHIRO), have jointly launched the "Public Transportation Business DX Promotion Consortium" (hereinafter referred to as the "Consortium"), which held its kick-off meeting on Wednesday, February 25, 2026.

In response to the wide range of challenges facing the public transportation industry, the consortium will work with bus operators, the main players in public transportation, as well as companies and researchers to resolve these issues through digital transformation (DX), develop sustainable and easy-to-implement solutions and popularization models, and aim to spread these throughout the industry. Going forward, the consortium will work to realize sustainable public transportation, including holding regular study meetings, raising awareness, and promoting the social implementation of autonomous driving. The consortium will be co-represented by the five co-founders, and will continue to expand its activities by widely recruiting members and supporters.

1. Background and purpose of the event
In recent years, the reduction in public transportation such as buses and taxis has become a serious social issue across the country, requiring urgent action. The development and introduction of autonomous driving technology has been attracting attention as one solution, but efforts to date have focused too much on vehicle technology development, and the perspective of public transportation and problem-solving as a sustainable business have not been adequately reflected.
Therefore, bus operators, the main players in public transportation, have taken the lead in forming this consortium with the aim of creating a new form of sustainable public transportation that anticipates an autonomous driving society. The consortium aims to combine the knowledge of safe, secure, and convenient operation and management that public transportation operators have cultivated over many years with systems and autonomous driving technologies aimed at various digital transformations related to advanced bus operations.

Public transport operators currently face a wide range of challenges, including promoting digital transformation, implementing autonomous driving technology, streamlining and improving operation management, strengthening human resource development to address these issues, and building sustainable business models. The consortium will share these challenges and propose and support open and practical solutions that public transport operators can take the initiative in addressing.

Going forward, the consortium will call on a wide range of stakeholders to join, including public transportation operators nationwide, researchers and research institutions with knowledge and solutions that can resolve public transportation challenges, companies, and government agencies working on regional public transportation. In collaboration with these parties, the consortium will aim to realize sustainable public transportation in anticipation of a society in which services utilizing autonomous driving technology are widespread.

2. Overview
1) Purpose:
Public transport operators will take the lead in creating and realizing a new form of safe, secure, convenient, enjoyable and sustainable public transport, with an eye towards an autonomous driving society.

2) Value provided:

・Value for public transport users (passengers)
We will continue to provide our customers (passengers) with the most appropriate means of transportation, and strive to make our services more advanced and efficient than ever before.

・Value for public transport operators
We propose the promotion of DX through open and practical solutions that businesses can take the initiative in (efficient operation management systems through digitalization, systems required for autonomous driving, etc.), and support the creation of sustainable business models.

3) Activities:

①Study Group: Discussing issues faced by public transport operators with researchers, research institutes, companies, and government agencies, and promoting solutions development, DX, and autonomous driving.

《Study group details》

Event: Scheduled to be held once a month from February 2026 to March 2027

・How to participate: Both in person and online

・Themes: operational and traffic management issues, issues related to promoting DX and implementing autonomous driving, issues related to building business models, etc.

・Participation fee: Free
(Details will be shared with consortium participants at a later date.)

② Awareness-raising activities: disseminating information to society at large and relevant parties, and making recommendations

③ Promoting social implementation: Supporting autonomous driving demonstration experiment and social implementation activities

4) How to join the consortium
① Member participation: Public transport operators (assuming bus operators)

・You can participate in and collaborate in all activities, including research groups, awareness-raising activities, and social implementation promotion activities.

② Supporter participation: researchers, research institutions, companies, local governments, related ministries and agencies, etc.

・You can participate in and collaborate in awareness-raising activities and activities to promote social implementation.

・Participation in the seminar will only be possible if approved by the secretariat.

5) Consortium official website
https://transport-dx.jp

6) How to apply
If you would like to participate, please apply via the URL or QR code below.
https://forms.gle/soDFPv1zMhq2AJ1j7

7) Introduction of the co-founders and co-representatives

[Tokyu Bus Corp.]
Representative Director, President Executive Officer: Takashi FURUKAWA, Headquarters: Meguro-ku, Tokyo
This urban bus operator operates routes covering the Jonan district of Tokyo, Kawasaki City, and Yokohama City. Based around Shibuya, a major Tokyu terminal, the company operates routes in line with Tokyu Group urban development projects such as the Tama Den-en-toshi area. The company has been working on developing transportation services and solutions that utilize autonomous driving technology, and through this consortium, it will work to widely enhance public transportation services.

[Keihin Kyuko Bus Co., Ltd.]
Director and President: Akihiro MORI, Headquarters: Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture
This bus company provides wide-area transportation services, including route buses operating mainly along the bay area from southeastern Tokyo to the Miura Peninsula in Kanagawa Prefecture, and airport access buses to various parts of the greater Tokyo metropolitan area starting from Haneda Airport. Tokyu Bus and the company have been working together on collaborations, including joint demonstration experiment of autonomous driving, and through this consortium, they will share knowledge and contribute to the realization of sustainable public transportation services.

[PACIFIC CONSULTANTS CO., LTD.]
Representative Director, President Executive Officer: Osamu OMOTO, Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
PACIFIC CONSULTANTS CO., LTD. is a social infrastructure services company that has been deeply involved in the planning, design, and operation of social infrastructure development and urban development, including cities, buildings, railways, roads, airports, ports and harbors, rivers, and water and sewerage systems, both in Japan and overseas, as a leading construction consulting company for over 70 years. Through this consortium, we aim to paint a vision of the future of public transportation rooted in local communities and realize a "sustainable society where everyone can live safely" using autonomous driving technology.

[NKB Inc.]
President and Representative Director: Takayuki TOYA, Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
NKB Inc. is an advertising company that develops new media including transit advertising, installs, distributes and manages digital signage, operates markets and tourist trains, and plans and implements regional revitalization and regional revitalization projects. Through this consortium, we will promote the resolution of regional mobility issues and the development of information services for next-generation public transportation.

[Tokyo City University]
Dean: Tomonari YASHIRO, Corporate Headquarters: Setagaya Ward, Tokyo
This private university is headquartered in Setagaya, Tokyo. It is operated by the Goto Ikueikai Educational Corporation, a member of the Tokyu Group, and while it focuses on science and engineering, it also actively conducts research on public transportation to support urban life. Utilizing this knowledge, we will participate and contribute from an academic standpoint to the state of bus operations and management strategies in the age of autonomous driving.