Self-driving bus at Osaka expo has minor collision with wall

Myaku-Myaku, the mascot for the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka. (Mainichi)

OSAKA (Kyodo) — A self-driving shuttle bus used to ferry visitors to the World Exposition in Osaka had a minor collision with a wall Monday after the driver manually stopped the vehicle and alighted, the bus operator said.

There were no injuries as the bus was out of service and not carrying passengers. The operator, Osaka Metro Co., has temporarily suspended operations of five self-driving buses, including the one involved in the accident, it said Tuesday.

The accident occurred around 4:30 p.m. in a waiting area of Maishima, an artificial island in Osaka. The bus started moving after it was stopped manually by the driver, with the operator now investigating the cause of the incident.

The bus is used to transport visitors by connecting a parking lot and the venue of the 2025 World Exposition. Osaka Metro will use driver-operated buses for the service for the time being.