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The Japanese economy has weathered the first and second oil crises and
is consolidating its transition to a moderate growth era. Against the backdrop
of this economic trend, transport activities have become increasingly vigorous
in both the passenger and the cargo fields. However, the domestic and international
circumstances surrounding transportation have been changing as mentioned below
and there is a possibility that the economic current may be greatly altered
by uncertain factors, as witnessed at the time of the oil crises.
Firstly, the Japanese economy and society have become more and more complicated
due to changes in the industrial structure, the regional structure, the composition
of the population and consiousness of the people.
Secondly, with regard to land space, environment, energy, etc., the restrictive
factors are increasing.
Thirdly, the government is in a tight financial situation.
Fourthly, the international economic and political situations have become
unstable.
In view of these changes, it is necessary to pay due regard to the following
points in managing transportation in the 1980s.
Concerning domestic transportation , first of all, transport demand is not
expected to grow as much as it did in the high-growth era because of such factors
as a change in the structure of the Japanese economy and the slowdown of the
growth pace of GNP.
Secondly, users of the means of transportation will become more selective.
As for passenger transport, the trend is towards higher speed because the people's
sense of value of time will rise. Users will choose more carefully between means
of transportation by weighing the price and service as a whole against the purpose
of a trip.
In every industry, firms have been making efforts to trim corporate fat.
They are now demanding more strongly the reduction of physical distribution
costs and a streamlining of physical distribution. In view of this, competition
among transportation means and transportation firms alike is expected to intensify
much in the firld of cargo transportation, too.
Thirdly, the effective utilization of traffic space, the promotion of energy-saving
measures and of environmental and safety measures will become increasingly important.
Hence, there is a need for a transportation policy which emphasises the establishment
of a traffic system of high transport efficiency and which pays due consideration
to the conservation of energy, the preservation of the environment, the promotion
of traffic safety, etc.
Fourthly, it is necessary to expand and improve trunk routes and regional
traffic systems so as to promote the balanced development of the nation's land
and to create affluent regional communities. In this case, it is necessary to
take greater care than ever before for priority-oriented and effective investment
in expanding and improving the traffic system and also for the division of functions
among transportation modes, and between private and public transportation systems
in order to utilize effectively the characteristics of each in their respective
fields of land, sea and air transportation.
With regard to international transportation, it is necessary to strengthen
ocean shipping 's competitiveness and improve international trade ports for
the purpose of enhancing national security and, at the same time, it is necessary
to promote international cooperation positively in order to expand interchanges
with foreign countries. The improvement and expansion of airports is also necessary.
In the light of past achievements and the outlook for the future, what is
needed at present is to deal properly with the rehabilitation of Japanese National
Railways and other problems currently facing transport administration and to
develop a comprehensive and suitable transportation policy for a new era, based
on a long- range perspective.
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