Japan knows a thing or two about innovative transportation methods. We all know the Shinkansen, better known as the bullet train. The high-speed rail system is a world-class creation in transportation. Now they’re considering adding a conveyor belt road to the list.
The country got creative with its latest plan: an automated cargo transport corridor. According to The Guardian, this operation would essentially be a conveyor belt road connecting two major hubs in Tokyo and Osaka.
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The purpose behind this plan, referred to as the Autoflow Road, is to meet the increased demand for delivery services that has recently amplified due to a labor shortage among drivers. The transition would also come with environmental benefits. Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito explained the driverless road would “help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
The design would see the “road” stretch 310 miles alongside existing highways, potentially incorporating underground tunnels at certain points where needed. Where the advantages truly come into play is in the amount of goods it could move. The road is projected to carry the same amount as 25,000 truck drivers on a daily basis.
If you think about it, it makes sense. Automation speeds everything up, right? Factor in the lack of traffic and typical slowdowns that drivers encounter, and it’s no wonder the country is aiming to use this plan as its solution.
All of this remains far away as it likely wouldn’t be a thing until 2028 with testing possibly beginning a year earlier. A fully operated road probably won’t exist until the mid-2030s, either, according to the Associated Press. There’s also the financial side of things that needs to be figured out and planned for. It’s said to be that this operation could cost up to $23.6 billion.
Cost aside, I wonder how quickly Amazon will figure out a way to do this in the States.
