A highly automated driving bus is slated to hit the road next month in Tokyo. The bus will provide short-distant commuting services for suburban residents. 

Self-driving bus to hit Japan's roads in August

The bus was developed by Japanese game company DeNa and a French startup firm. It can carry 12 passengers at a maximum speed of 40 kilometres per hour. The bus is equipped with sensors and cameras to help with speed control. There are three buttons inside the bus for emergency brakes in case of danger.

Japan has no law to prevent self-driving cars from driving on its roads and DeNa will carry out more tests on real life traffic. That's after a Tesla car crashed with a truck while set in auto driving mode, resulting the death of the driver.

However, Tokyo was unfazed by the incident, and still aims to introduce self-driving vehicles for its 2020 Tokyo Olympics.