Nation's First Effort to Combine Car-Sharing and Public Transport in Tokyo

The Environment Bureau and Bureau of Transportation of Tokyo Metropolitan Government and ORIX Auto Corp. announced separately on February 9, 2009, that they plan to launch a model project which aims to reduce the impact on the environment by combining car sharing with taking the subway. The project is the nation's first effort at car sharing in cooperation with public transportation (railway).

In this model project, from February 10 through August 10, 2009, 14 cars for car-sharing are being set near 10 subway stations along the Asakusa Line. The project plans to recruit new members through posters displayed in the trains and in subway stations.

Car owners who live along the Asakusa Line can reduce their transportation costs by using car-sharing instead of their own car. The visitors to a destination along this line can take the subway to the nearest station to their destination and then use car-sharing from the station to their destination. This helps people reduce their traveling cost and also prevents traffic jams.

After verifying the results of the model project, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and ORIX will consider the possibility of expanding the project to other government operated subway lines and also introducing electric vehicles.

Car Sharing in Japan: Growing in Popularity, Integrating into Transport Systems
JFS Newsletter No.76 (December 2008)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/mailmagazine/newsletter/pages/
028678.html
Car Sharing Gaining Popularity in Japanese Cities (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/026694.html
Suzuki Launches Swift Model for Car-Sharing (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/027127.html

Posted: 2005/05/26 06:00:15 AM