INITIATIVES TO ADDRESS ISSUES RELATED TO SOCIETY: CREATING A SYSTEM THAT ENRICHES PEOPLE’S LIVES

According to the 2020 White Paper on Information and Communications in Japan (published by 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 and aging society prompted by a falling birthrate sooner than other countries, while also facing the increasing concentration of its population in urban centers. In recent years, various issues have become apparent. 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 reduced and discontinued public transportation services such as trains and buses. As a result, freedom of mobility in everyday life is limited for people who have difficulty using private vehicles as their main means of transport. As measures to effectively cater to such mobility needs of local communities with different characteristics and issues, expectations are running high for Mobility as a Service (MaaS)* frameworks. Amid ongoing discussions nationwide about MaaS in Japan, the automotive industry is striving to develop related technologies and create mobility service systems. 

*Mobility as a Service: An integrated transport service of search, reservation, payment, etc. that optimally combines multiple public transportation and other travel services in response to the travel needs of each local resident or traveler on a trip-by-trip basis.

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)

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—particularly the elderly and people with special needs—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 of communities.