Over Half of First-Timers Reject Autonomous Buses, Survey Shows Trust Gap Widens With Experience An online survey conducted by private research firm MM Research Institute (Tokyo) has revealed that whether or not a person has actually ridden in an autonomous vehicle decisively influences their trust in the technology and their willingness to use it. Approximately 80% of respondents who had ridden an autonomous bus said they found it "more trustworthy than, or equally as trustworthy as, a human driver," while over half of those without such experience expressed reluctance, saying they "do not want to use" the service. The firm characterizes this gap as "evidence that a significant number of people are hesitant due to prejudice without experience," and is urging Japan's government and operators to proactively disseminate information to promote public understanding. The survey was conducted online from June 18 to 21, 2026, targeting 3,000 men and women aged 15 to 79 across Japan. Of these, roughly 300 respondents — about 10% of the total — reported having actually ridden in an autonomous vehicle. Viewed against the full sample, the data underscores that autonomous driving remains a "distant reality" for most people. The gap was stark on questions concerning trust. Among those with no riding experience, only 10.9% said they would trust an autonomous bus "more than a human driver." That figure jumped to 48.6% — nearly half — among experienced riders. When combined with those who answered "equally as trustworthy as a human driver," positive assessments reached 44.6% (10.9% + 33.7%) for inexperienced respondents, compared with 80.2% (48.6% + 31.6%) for experienced ones. The same survey posed identical questions about autonomous taxi-type vehicles (robotaxis), showing that the experience-driven gap in perception is not limited to buses. | Item | Taxi | Bus | |---|---|---| | Trust "equal to