Supportive Actions Begin for Introduction of Eco-Driving Management System

At the end of March 2006, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation, and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan jointly started a project to give financial assistance to service industries that use trucks, buses and taxis in order to assist in the installation of equipment necessary to utilize Eco-driving Management Systems (EMSs). Aiming to achieve the target set out for Japan in the Kyoto Protocol, the two ministries will focus on the reduction of CO2 emissions from automobile transportation industries, which account for about 90 percent of those from transportation sectors.

Under the EMS, digital driving recorders dedicated to the system are installed on each vehicle, while the operation control center introduces analysis software and card readers, in addition to setting driving targets. When each vehicle returns from its daily operation, its driving record is stored, analyzed and evaluated at the center. Based on the data evaluation, the operation managers give instructions and hold seminars to promote eco-driving.

The program provides one-third of the cost of implementing equipment for the EMS. The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) plans to collect applicants for the program within its Enterprise Energy Use Rationalization Effort Assistance Program, and is expecting about 2.6 billion applications.

Applications were accepted until the end of May 2006, and the program will be put in practice in July.

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Posted: 2006/06/28 10:25:43 AM
Japanese version