According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan has been identified as a country with advanced challenges. The country began to experience a declining population, an aging society prompted by a falling birthrate, and increasing concentration of its population in urban centers sooner than other countries, and various issues have been emerging in recent years. In urban areas, daily traffic jams and congestion have caused extended traveling and commuting times and other problems that lead to social losses. Meanwhile, there has been an increase in areas in rural Japan where there is no public transportation due to the reduction or discontinuation of public transportation services such as trains and buses. As a result, freedom of mobility is limited for people who have difficulty using private vehicles as their main means of transport. Mobility as a Service (MaaS)* frameworks are gaining attention as a means of efficiently catering to such mobility needs, which can vary based on the differing characteristics and issues of specific communities. Amid ongoing discussions nationwide about MaaS in Japan, the automotive industry is striving to develop related technologies and establish mobility service frameworks.
INITIATIVES TO ADDRESS ISSUES RELATED TO SOCIETY: CREATING A SYSTEM THAT ENRICHES PEOPLE’S LIVES
Sustainable Development Goals
Relevant SDGs Targets
9.1 Develop sustainable and resilient infrastructure to support economic development and human well-being.
11.2 Provide access to sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety.
11.6 Reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.
11.a Support positive economic, social, and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas.
Social Issues
* Mobility as a Service: An integrated transport service encompassing search, reservation, payment, and other functions that optimally combines multiple public transportation and other travel services in response to the travel needs of individual community members or travelers on a trip-by-trip basis.
Five Types of Communities Identified to Promote Japanese-Style MaaS Frameworks
| (1) Metropolitan area | (2) Metropolitan suburban area | (3) Urban area outside of metropolitan area | (4) Suburb/ Depopulated area | (5) Tourist destination | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regional characteristics | •Population size: Large •Population density: High •Transport system: Primarily trains | •Population size: Large •Population density: High •Transport system: Trains/automobiles | •Population size: Medium •Population density: Medium •Transport system: Primarily automobiles | •Population size: Small | •Population size: - •Population density: - •Transport system: - |
| Regional issues | •Response to diversifying mobility needs •Lack of information about potential demand •Daily traffic jams and congestion | •Lack of first-/last-mile transportation services and connectivity •Focused congestion due to events, weather, etc. | •Reliance on private automobiles •Decrease in convenience and profitability of public transportation •Insufficient transportation for non-automobile owners and elderly people who have relinquished their driver's license | •Reliance on private automobiles •Decline in local transportation •Expansion of areas where no public transportation is available •Increasingly insufficient transportation for non-automobile owners and elderly people who have relinquished their driver's license | •Lack of secondary transportation and need to provide tourism transportation in rural areas •Need to facilitate smooth movement of foreign visitors to Japan, whose numbers have been rapidly increasing •Necessity for finely tuned response to diversifying tourism needs |
The above table was created by Mazda based on the "Outline of the Interim Report from the Roundtable on New Mobility Services for Cities and Rural Areas" of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. (external link, in Japanese only)
Reasons for Addressing Social Issues
Mazda predicts that, around 2030, against the backdrop of global digitalization and widespread use of work efficiency improvement tools, the automotive industry will seek to increase convenience by linking automobiles and communications systems and continuing to offer various new services, making the selection of which convenience-oriented services to provide a decision of significant value. Metropolitan areas with advanced infrastructure built to accommodate a greater concentration of people should be able to resolve any concerns or inconveniences regarding mobility with little difficulty, thanks to the development of shared services as well as expanded vehicle use and services, which will become comparable to those of public transportation systems. Conversely, depopulated areas in hilly and mountainous regions of Japan will continue to suffer a lack of transportation means due to the discontinuation of public transportation services, making it harder for local residents to get around. This issue will also pertain to regional revitalization, which cannot be achieved by merely providing relevant services alone. The Company will leverage available automobile and mobility technologies to help create communities where local residents help one another and facilitate interpersonal interaction, assisted by drivers from both within and outside these communities.