Chapter　8　 Policy Problems Well Adapted to Economic and Social Changes

8. 1　Movement of Informatization and Transport


　 　In order for the transport sector to secure its operation's safety, promote efficiency and increase convenience of users, there is an absolute need to adapt itself to informatization.
　 　To this end, the Ministry of Transport, acting upon a recommendation submitted in January 1986 by the Council for Transport Policy, will implement the following measures
　 　①To develop transport information systems, including mobile information systems complete with radio facilities, designed for installation on trains and trucks (Fig. 16);
　 　②To promote the diversified and sophisticated utilization of transport facilities by, for example, Laying optical fibers in railway tracks and by also utilizing traffic terminals as information supply bases (such as media terminals);
　 　③To promote local informatization by developing information systems through which weather, traffic, tourist and other transport information can be supplied in a manner adapted to local needs.

　

8. 2　Recreational Activities and Transportation


(1)　Changes of People's Awareness and Recreational Activities
　 　Reflecting an upward trend in people's leisure time, the public demand for recreational activities is steadily increasing. (Fig. 17) However, present-day recreational activities in Japan are quantitatively and qualitatively insufficient.
　 　Furthermore, recreational activities have a significant role to play to eradict economic friction and to stimulate domestic demand.
　 　Because of this, there is a need to formulate and implement measures to encourage recreational activities, including the introduction of extended vacations. It is also imperative to study ways in which extended vacations could be taken so as to eliminate the inconvenience caused by an excessive utilization of transport systems, accommodation facilities and other recreational facilities.
(2)　New Policy of Promoting Tourist Recreation Activities
　 　Tourist recreation, which forms the bulk of recreational activities, is expected to continue expanding with an increase of leisure time. It is currently going through qualitative changes in the form of a shift to an "experience" or "behavior" pattern, and increasing education- and culture-orientedness.
　 　In response to such changes, there is a need to promote the comprehensive and integrated development of tourist resorts complete with athletic, recreational, health and other diversified functions, by fully exploiting private-sector vitality, thereby contributing also to the expansion of domestic demand.

　

8. 3　Review of Regulations and Utilization of Private-Sector Vitality in Transport

(1)　Review of Transport Regulations
　 　As regards transport regulations, there is a constant need to review their appropriate application so as to cope with ever-changing socio-economic conditions, and steps to improve such regulations have so far been implemented whenever necessary, in the basis of such a concept, while steps have been taken with regard to matters specified in recommendations submitted by the Ad Hoc Council for the Administration Reform.
　 　Major Reviews currently carried out are as follows: the vast improvement of regulations governing railways in line with the reform of the JNR, the consolidation of oceangoing shipping, and the review of airline business management systems.
(2)　Utilization of Private-Sector Vitality in Transport
　 　 The basic approach to the utilization of private-sector vitality in transport may be roughly divided into the three following categories:
　 　(a) Privatization of the public-utility sector; (b) effective utilization of land owned by the JNR; and (c) introduction of private-sector funds and management knowhow to develop projects providing public facilities.
　 　It is in this context that the development of the projected Kansai International Airport and the redevelopment of ports and harbors are currently being accelerated.
　 　Also, with the promulgation and enforcement of the so-called "Private-Sector Vitality Law" in May 1986, it is expected that such projects as the redevelopment of the Takeshiba area in Tokyo Port, Yokohama's "Minato Mirai 21" plan and others will be launched during the fiscal 1986-87 period.


8. 4　Development of New Services in Transport

　 　It is said that "an era of new services," in which services based on new concepts will arise one after another in industrial structural changes, has been ushered in of late, amidst the gradual emergence of distinctive social (trends or economic service-, soft-, information- and high technology-) toward the 21st century.
　 　Such trends are in evidence also in the transport industry (Figs. 18&19), where diversified home delivery services (including delivery of local specialties), integrated house-moving services, courier services, convention-related services, weather information services, information and telecommunication services, etc., are exemplified.
　 　Such moves are gaining impetus in the shape of (a) sophistication and diversification of existing services, (b) inauguration and development of new-type services, and (c) infiltration of transport entrepreneurs into other areas of business.
　 　Those new services in transport, which have invariably made their debut to meet the needs of the times, are attaining rapid development of late. According to a survey by the Ministry of Transport, such services have already developed into a \5 trillion market, even when only taking in account some of the 130 firms polled, whose market size has been clarified.
　 　In regard to the prevailing trends in new services, appropriate measures have been positively taken in recent years, including the establishment of standard regulations governing home delivery, house-moving and trunk-room services. But there are still many problems requiring closer study
　 　As regards administrative steps to be taken in the future, it is considered necessary to (a) continuously grasp the actual status of the new services, (b) foster and extend guidance to the kind of services whose social needs are high and which must be promoted in view of their public interests, and (c) organize the service industry and foster service organizations. At present, such problems are being studied.

　

8. 5　Development and Utilization of the Ocean

　 　In order to develop Japan's economy and to further improve the nation's living standards, there is a need to strive for the development and use of the oceans coping positively with the changing times including greater importance of the utilization of people's leisure time. And to this end, it would be necessary to supply fullfledged maritime information and carry out the development of maritime exploration technologies, and to push ahead with projects such as (i) the construction of man-made offshore islands and ii) the promotion of maritime recreations.
　 　The Ministry of Transport, in an effort to further disseminate public knowledge on oceans and maritime affairs, decided to sponsor an annual "sea festival" starting in fiscal 1986, and the first festival was held in Kita-Kyushu city.

　

8. 6　Development of Transport Technologies

　 　In order to fully meet the demand for greater safety and convenience of transport systems which are being sophisticated and diversified, there is a need to vigorously push for the development of transport-related technologies, including the introduction of high technologies.

　

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