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Reviewing the trends of domestic goods transport, it is found that in
the first half of fiscal 1973, the volume of domestic goods transport both in
tonnage and in ton-kilometers increased over the same period of the previous
fISCal year, aided by the favorable condition of domestic marine transport.
In the latter part of the FISCal year, however, volumes of goods transport by
various kinds of tra11SPOrt facilities showed a unanimous drop, being adversely
affected by the permeation of the total demand restraint policy and the policy
of saving petroleum and electricity consumption.
Trends of goods transport classified by transport facility in fiscal 1973
are as follows: The volume of goods transport by Japanese National Railways
decreased in fiscal 1973 by 3.3 per cent in tonnage and 2.0 per cent in tonkuometers
compared with that in the previous fiscal year, marking consecutive declines
from the previous rlSCal year. This decline was attributable to the facts that
the volumes of transport of lumber and coal, which had been continuously on
the decline since several years ago, were Sharply reduced in fISCal 1973 and
that limestone, cement and petroleum, which had been carried great weight in
tonnage, showed a more or less leveling-off. Container transport which had shown
a growth ofmore or less 20 per cent every year showed in fiscal 1973 a growth
of only 11.7 per cent"which was lower than any of the figures of recent yearsl-OVer
the previous fiscal year. (Table2)
"Automobiles" fell by 5.6 per cent in tonnage and by 8.2 per cent in tonkilometers
in fiscal 1973 against the previous fiscal year. Viewed from transported items,
almost all items fell in fiscal 1973 against the previous fiscal year and, especially,
cereals, coal, cement and petroleum were down by more or less 20 per cent.
Viewed from the classiflcation by "lorries owned by common carriers" and
"privately owned lorries," the former was down by 1.3 per cent and the latter
was down by 7.9 per cent in tonnage in fiscal 1973 against the previous fiscal
year, and in ton-kilometers the former was down by 4.1 per cent and the latter
was down by 12.3 per cent showing a sharp decline in the latter. As a result,
freight shares of the two became 52.0 per cent for the fomer and 48.0 per cent
for the latter, showing the predominance of the former over the latter. (Fig.3)
"Domestic marine.transbort" was up 0.1 per cent in tonnage and up 6.7 per
cent in ron.kilometers over the previous fiscal year. Viewed from commodities,
iron and steel and cement, which had comparatively longer hauling distances
among -staple commodities, increased, reflpecting a, higher growth rate for
tonnage than that for ton-kilometers.
"Airtransport" inflscal 1973, Whichwassupportedby vigorous demand for air
transport, increased 22.2 per cent in tonnage and 28.7 per cent in ton-kilometers
over the previous fiscal year, showing sharp increases for two fiscal years
in a row.
As a result, freight shares in ton-kilometers classified by transport facility
in fiscal 1973 stood at a sharap fall of 3.0 points for "automobiles" and at
a sharp rise of 3.1 points for "domestic marine transport," resulting in near
equalization between the freight shares of the two kinds of transport facilities.
Next, when domestic goods transport was viewed from the kinds or commodities,
the following trends were observed: In primary products, products from agriculture,
animal breeding and fishery sharply dipped, the movement of lumber slackened
due to soaring prices, and gravel, sand and stone materials declined as a result
of the influence of measures for deferring public works, thereby representing
an overall decline of 3.9 per cent in fiscal 1973 compared with the previous
fiscal year. In industrial products, iron and steel went up slightly, but the
overall figure stood at a decline of 5.1 per cent, which was an unusually severe
fall in recent years. (Fig.4) (Fig.5)
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