#Japan #OMRON #Hyuga City #Shared Mobility #Hyuga

Introduction

Omron Social Solutions Co., Ltd. (OSS), headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, has signed a contract with Hyuga City to formulate a basic policy for introducing new transportation systems, including public ride-sharing, in the Togo region. This initiative aims to revitalize transportation in the city, promoting the establishment of sustainable public transport.

Background

The decline of public transportation in rural areas has become a critical challenge due to financial constraints faced by local governments and a shortage of drivers. Hyuga City, located in northern Miyazaki Prefecture, is experiencing a similar crisis, with decreasing bus and taxi services due to an aging population and lack of manpower. In light of these difficulties, community-driven solutions such as ride-sharing services that utilize privately owned vehicles are gaining attention as viable options for maintaining mobility.

OSS's Commitment

In a new partnership, OSS aims to address the transportation challenges faced by the Togo region. The approach involves thorough discussions with residents, traffic operators, and other stakeholders to develop a comprehensive transportation vision that caters to community needs. Specific strategies include conducting surveys to identify mobility demands, holding roundtable discussions, and facilitating ride-experience sessions to gather firsthand feedback from citizens on transportation options. By integrating various perspectives into policymaking, the objective is to enhance transportation infrastructure and operations throughout Hyuga City.

Strategies and Implementation

As part of this project, OSS engages in several key initiatives, which are essential in shaping the future transportation landscape:

• - Resident Surveys: Understanding potential mobility needs and assessing the current public transportation system, particularly the local route, “Ride Share Togo.”
• - Enterprise Hearings: Gathering insights on operational challenges and expectations from existing transportation providers regarding the new transportation framework.
• - Community Roundtables: Fostering dialogue with residents to ensure they connect their transportation issues with the broader community approach and gather input on proposed systems.
• - Ride-Experience Events: Organizing ride-sharing trials, encouraging participation from all stakeholders, and integrating findings from these experiences into the development of the basic policy.
• - Policy Formulation: Evaluating multiple new transportation systems, leading to the identification of the most feasible solutions tailored to local needs.