Hyogo Car Life Festa” at Meriken Park: Hydrogen Buses and Trucks

　The “Eco & Safety Hyogo Car Life Festa 2024” will be held at Kobe Meriken Park (Hashiba-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe City) on November 16 and 17. The event will be sponsored by the Hyogo Branch of the Japan Automobile Dealers Association (JAF) and the JAF Hyogo Branch.

A hydrogen-powered garbage truck, on which Kobe City is conducting a demonstration experiment, will be on display.

　The event replaces the “Eco & Safety Kobe Car Life Festa,” which was held annually until 2017 under the sponsorship of the Ministry of the Environment, JAF (Japan Automobile Federation) and Kobe City. Although there was a pause due to the Corona disaster, this year’s event will mark the fifth time it has been held.

　At the event, the Hyogo Prefectural Police will display police cars and motorcycles, the Kinki District Transport Bureau and Hyogo Prefecture Traffic Safety Association will distribute pamphlets at their booths, various automakers will display and offer hands-on experience with their support vehicles, and hydrogen buses and trucks will be on display to promote environmentally friendly, safe, and secure car life and traffic safety activities in the city of Kobe.

　The JAF booth will have a hands-on corner to raise children’s awareness of traffic safety, including a “Child Safety License” with a photo that can be issued on the spot after learning traffic rules through a quiz, and an “Agility Measurement” to check agility age like a game, as well as to let children know the importance of child seats, In addition, a vehicle demonstrating the effectiveness of child safety seats will also be on display to promote awareness of the importance of child safety seats.

　About 10 kitchen cars will be set up in the gourmet area. In addition to the on-site stamp rally, where visitors can participate in a raffle by completing all the required steps, there will also be a “Gara-pon” lottery.

　The Kobe Koryo Gakuen High School Marching Band will perform on the 16th, and the Hanshin Tigers mascot character “Truckee” will appear on the 17th. On the same day, the Kobe Super Stadium, a large-scale sports entertainment facility on Rokko Island, will also prepare on-site activities on the 17th.

　Mr. Junzo Kimura, organizer of the event, said, “There will be many cars on display that you cannot normally drive, so we hope you will be able to see, touch, and experience them. We hope that many people will come to this once-a-year event that can be enjoyed by the whole family.

　The event will be held from 10:00 to 16:00. Admission is free.