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1 Improving Reservation Services
In recent years, following the development of information services, etc.,
now airplane and Shinkansen tickets can be reserved and bought at conveniences
stores and supermarkets, etc. And automatic reservation systems such as push-button
telephone and captain systems (systems which link display units such as television,
PC, etc. at homes and companies, etc. to various information centers using the
telephone line and provide information on the screen) have been introduced.
And with the development of international computer and reservation systems,
it is even more convenient now when going abroad because hotels, rental cars,
trains, and even event tickets, etc. can be reserved in Japan.
2 IMPROVING ON-BOARD SERVICES
(1) Prepaid Cards
Prepaid cards were first introduced in 1983 by the Saitama Shintoshi Transportation
and since then they have proved to be very convenient to commuters because there
is no need to have small change when buying tickets.
(2) Stored Fare Cards
The stored fare card systems (systems which fare is automatically deducted
from the card when entering the ticket gate) is one in which the fare between
destinations used is automatically deducted from the prepaid card when inserted
into the automatic ticket gate. They enable commuters to travel on trains without
having to buy tickets each time. The system was introduced on the inside of
Yamamoto Line of the JR East in March 1991 and by all lines of the Hankyu Railway,
Nanboku lines of the Eidan Subway, etc. And from June 1992, the system was adopted
jointly by the subways and buses of Yokohama city, the buses of Kawasaki City
and the Kanagawa Chuo Buses. This was the first joint trial between public and
private, railway and buses in Japan and its results are receiving attention.
Furthermore, it is expected that as technological development, etc. progresses
in the future, systems that automatically deduct transport fares from the users
bank account and non-contact systems in which cards do not have to be inserted
in automatic ticket machines will be introduced.
(3) Improving Bus Transport Services such as the New Bus Systems in Cities.
Etc.
Although efforts to utilize buses are being encouraged more than ever from
the viewpoint of dealing with environmental problems, etc. because traffic congestion
is worsening, it is difficult to guarantee their punctuality in cities. For
this reason, several systems have been introduced. These are: the bus location
system (a system which monitors the route of the bus using radar and informs
the bus to prevent them from arriving all together), bus approaching information
system (a system which informs people waiting at the bus stop that the bus is
approaching when it is about 400 to 500 meters away to lesse their irritation),
and the new bus systems in cities (a system which improves services systematically
by introducing bus approach displays, installing sheltered bus-stops and introducing
low-floor and wide-door buses, etc.). Also to provide thorough bus transport
services, the demand activated bus system (system in which the bus will change
its normal route and pick up a person who has called for it) has been introduced.
3 IMPROVlNG ON-BOARD SERVICES
(1) Improving Car Comfort, Etc.
Today, in an age where facilities such as offices, hotels, theaters, etc.,
have become comfortable the comfort offered by carriages and terminals are also
being questioned. For this reason, air-conditioners have been mainly incorporated
in the train cars of cities where congestion is serious. The rate of air-conditioned
carriages of major private railways is now nearly 100% (Fig.
33) and are appreciated by users. (Fig.
34) In addition, attempts such as widening seats, introducing carriages
with private rooms, etc. have also been made, and JR West has also introduced
the Twilight Express which comes with residence efficiencies and a good food
just like a hotel: indicating that various efforts are being made to diversify
services and raise comfort. Deluxe rapid buses such as double-deckers, etc.
have been introduced to provide wide seating space. Furthermore, users of long
haul ferry boats have increased with the increasing popularity of marine activities.
And in building new ships, in response to the sophistication of user needs,
efforts are being made to improve services by enhancing restaurants, installing
various facilities like lounges and pools, etc. Railway, on the other hand,
are also being installed with escalators, air-conditioning, convenience stores
and district public organization offices, etc.
(2) Increasing Transferring Convenience
Recently, in addition to needs for carriage comfort, etc., needs for effective
use of traveling time are also mounting (Fig.
35). Services such as installing mini TVs, supplying news and weather forecasts
in train cars, renting video cameras, etc. are therefore being improved.
With various transportation facilities making efforts to improve services
such as increasing comfort and speed, the resulting merit will be greatly reduced
if transfer convenience is not ensured. For this reason, mutual cooperation
between several railways companies, adjustments of timetables of railway and
buses, improvement at terminals by installing escalators, etc., have been carried
out. For example, in March 1991, to increase transfer convenience in regional
traffic, four railways companies Hokuso Railway Corporation, Keisei Electric
Railway Co., Ltd. Metropolitan Subway and Keihin Electric Express Railway Co.,
Ltd started mutual track use services so that these four trains are now joined
at 114 sections in Japan as of the end of 1991. User convenience is also being
increased for trunk line transpotation by extending the Tohoku and Joetsu Shinkansens
into Tokyo Station, etc. These efforts should be continued in the future.
4 Improving Late-Night Transport Services
Because more and more big city dwellers are leading 24-hour lifestyles and
do work on a 24 hour basis, and therefore are active until late-night, needs
for late-night transport services are on the increase. Since 1988, 5 measures
are being carried out in the Tokyo area. These include increasing trains in
the late-night time zone, extending running sections, putting back the time
of the last train and last bus, enhancing the running of late-night buses linking
suburb stations and housing estates as well as of late-night express buses directly
linking cities and suburbs. (Table
3)
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