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Motorization in Japan has now reached the stage of developmental maturity.
In urban areas in particular, an increase in the use of personal cars has lead
to serious road congestion.
The worsening in this environment has made it very difficult to maintain regular
bus services, leading to a loss of faith in public transport, and public transport
today does not fully satisfy user needs.
All government ministries and authorities concerned need to work together to
promote measures to deal with the intensification of road congestion in urban
areas, in line with the July 1988 decision made by the Japanese Government Office
for Traffic Countermeasures.
The MOT is working towards improving traffic flow in major urban areas through
a number of means:- establishing public transport facilities including railway
and bus, and raising the quality of public transport services, rationalization
of cargo distribution by establishing distribution facilities and shared distribution.
Further concrete measures need to be implemented to establish harmony between
use of the personal car and public transport. Park and ride systems that fit
with regional conditions should be introduced, and the the flow of vehicles
other than buses and taxis in the vicinity of railway stations should be restricted
during the morning rush hour.
(1) There has been an alarming worsening of road conditions in urban areas
accompanied by a drop in the quality of bus services, and in regional areas
both the population has dropped and personal cars are being used increasingly.
The environment in which buses operate needs to be improved and the quality
of services also needs to be raised to satisfy the transport needs of people
in regional areas.
Efforts are being made towards further activating bus transport in order to
achieve these goals. The Public Safety Commissions of Tokyo, Hokkaido, and other
Prefectures is working on the introduction of measures such as "bus-only" lanes
in major metropolitan centers and large regional towns, and improvement of the
quality of buses and bus stop facilities is being made.
In regional areas efforts are being made for establishing the independence of
bus services so they become an effective mode of transport for local residents.
In addition to offering recommendations for efforts towards establishing autonomy,
a system for providing assistance has been organized aimed at improving the
bus company business.
Measures are being made to maintain and increase the number of passengers through
the introduction of flexible boarding and alighting of buses, and "demand" buses,
which is expected to be reflected in improvements in business. Increasingly
effective operation is also expected as a result of replotting of bus routes
in line with regional needs.
(2) Taxis provide a degree of convenience and comfort that is not found in
other forms of public transport and fulfill an important role in the daily lives
and business activities of people in regional areas.
In regional areas, the "wagon taxi" was introduced in July 1991 responding to
user needs; along with increases in the type of core-city type taxi pooling,
the "Blue-Line Taxi" has been introduced, and in less populated areas "depopulation
area type taxi pooling" has been introduced.
(3) In urban and surrounding areas late night buses (including express buses,
and medium-distance buses), taxi pooling Blue Line taxis have been increased
to satisfy the increase in demand for late night transport.
The first revisions in 40 years to Trucking Business Law, were made on December
1, 1990. The revisions have been shown to be appropriate in light of the restrictive
economic conditions that have continued since their implementation.
There have been no significant increases in the number of transport companies
applying for registration in recent years due to sudden rises in land prices
and a labor shortages. In the future, however, It is expected to provide a stimulus
to the industry overall such as diverse increases in charges and the promotion
of cooperative delivery.
Social restrictions, on the other hand, have become more rigid. There are now
some 53 thousand licensed managers in the transport industry and measures are
underway for structuring a system to ensure the appropriate approaches to operation
by trucking businesses.
Problems surrounding the physical distribution system - labor shortages which
have increased in recent years, traffic congestion due to increases in the numbers
of deliveries, and car exhaust fumes (NOx) show the system calls for a review.
Businesses operating today need to switch over to a more effective physical
distribution system. The new system should take advantage of further mixed-loaded
cargo and should provide effective and diverse services in line with a range
in charge. (Fig48)
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