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Transport in Other Lands.
Japan
Has Her Troubles.
Mr. M. Mikizuwa, in the " Japan
Automobile," Kngli.sli edit ion, provides
an article of interest to Australians who
consider that only in Australia is the
modern form of transport allowed to inter
fe re with the old. In Japan the situ
ation is reviewed by Mr. Miki/.awa as
follows: —
By
amalgamation
of
its
suburban
qmntries,
a. number
of towns and
villages,
our old Tokyo has been
reformed
into a »-reat municipal
organisation
under
the title of the "(ireat
Tokyo"
in
October of Inst year.
The
population
has
leaped
up
to f>,-
000,000 and
it
ranks
the second
in
the
world.
Transportation through and round the
big city has made ami is making a wonderful
development day by day. This
is, however, causes of traffic accidents
which happen daily here and there in
the town.
As the transporting facilities advance,
the desire of citizens for them has
turned for the more speedy vehicles.
Yet the demand of the citizens is requiring
still more rapid vehicles in propor
tion to the natural increase of the population.
Meanwhile, the continued appearance
of egoistic and unruly persons
engaged in business set the lire to the
competition between ' hemsel ves, and
they were now driven to such an incurable
situation that they will simply be
ruined by themselves, unless they Consider
for restoration in some way, and it
became an important problem to the
public that the city's transportation
should be governed by the unification of
the transportation.
Especially, the recent development of
bus transportation is so great that it
now trespasses the scope of interest of
other transportation vehicles, and their
business has been badly affected with a
single exception of the Imperial (Joveruinent's
railway line. I'or instance, the
City tram car line is said to suffer from
a loss of 200,000,000.00 yen, from which
they are unable to get out. Further,
more than 17 private railway lines are
also found helpless to get rid of the loss
and some of them have found tint there
is no other way 1o save them from ulncondition
than to commence the bus lines
as well as their electric lines. Tuey wire
inclined to believe after struggle that
this was absolutely necessary to be
carried out. in reality, and there was
such an episode that in order to deplete
the number of their electric cars in operation
for the realisation of the above
plan, they caused a labour trouble with
the existing employees. Indeed, they are
experiencing such a miserable condition.
Ill view of the above situation, Tokyo
Municipal Government presented a bill
for the control regulation over the city
transportation, and the Department, of
the Imperial Railways have :<••«<> <1 ra^vn
their own plans ngarding this problem.
There are also various other plans talkative
of this important feature, but none
of them are far from being practicable
and applicable to satisfaction of the
business men concerned. This is the
Status <|uo of the city traffic plan.
Our discussion is beside the matter in
hand, but we will first describe here the
existing complicated state of the city
transportation, and for the convenience
sake we will leave the discussion for the
present as to ''How we could place tin'
city traflic under perfect control."
From the business point of view, there
are, besides the Imperial Railways Department
's typical electric line and the
Municipal tram car line in short balance,
one subway, 17 private car lines and f)f>
auto bus lines surrounding the metropolis,
and they are at every point crossed
eatdi other line in complication.
Fspecially, the recent development, of
automobile hire busines" is wonderful,
the cheapness and speed being their unconquerable
weapons, and the existence
of the said business means a big threat
to all other transportation vehicles.
Next, the total number of passengers
is roughly estimated at as the following:
(ioverutnent 's t ram line pas
Municipal street car line
seugers
Private street car line
sengers
Subway passengers . .
t'ity bus line passengers
pas
1,000,000
L'00,000
f>0,000
100,000
Piivate bus line pas^eii
Other
passengers
1 ,">0,1)00
:!t;o,ooo
Total
pas-
1 rs per day L!,0nu,()()(l
If
compared
with
the
whole
population,
persons
who
avail
these
traflic.
means daily
are
in the proportion
of 2
to f>, from
which
fact
we
can see how
much complicated the traflic condition of
this great city is. But, above all others,
the autobus occupies the foremost position
in the modern transportation vehicles,
while the street car which makes
us feel nuisance with its dull speed and
ils uncomfortable speaking sound is left
behind and it is no wonder that the city
authorities are now investigating about
tlu> ra i I less tramway line, while they are
carrying out bus line as a side business.
They are thus trying I () keep up the
pace with the change of the times.
Auto bus line requires only a small
amount of fixed capital, in case of enterprise,
when the automobile running
roads will be accomplished. Probably
for that reason, a tendency can be observed
in the traffic conditions of the
Greater Tokyo, that is, the street ear
which played the principal part in the
past stage is gradually losing its place,
and the bus line is becoming the target
of the investigation.
As
for
the
unUication
of
auto
bus
lines,
there exist many
plans,
such
as
municipal
traffic
bill,
government
and
private companies' plans, but since they
are based
upon
their
own interest
they
are
inclined
to
sustain
their
opinions,
and
have no wishes to compromise
with
each other.
And, therefore, the realisation
seems
to have struck
against
the
rock.
Their
plans
are,
however,
summarised
into
the
following
three
opinions
( I) To sell city bus line to private
companies.
(-) To purchase private companies
by the city.
{•'>) To newly organise a semi-official
auto bus company by the co-operation of
bni h the city and private concerns.
In consideration of the above three
plans, the first plan, thai is, to sell city
buses to private company, is agreeable
to the eity officials who were lung suffering
from loss in management, and
are very anxious to get rid of the deficit
as soon as possible, so that there are all
probabilities of obtaining their support
in this plan. Hut since it is very dangerous
to leave such an important organ
to a single company's disposal, the
citizens would not approve the plan.
The second plan, that is, that the municipal
office should buy all private bus
companies would be an ideal plan, in
\ ie\\ of the principle of the traffic, unification.
The plan itself has a value
and is most significant in contemplation,
luit the present city's finance would not
allow this, whereas it should only be
kept untouched as an ideal plan alone.
Under such circumstances we are inclined
to think that the third plan Avill
be the most practical plan to be carried
nut by the aid of both the government
and private linain-ial background, although
we do not mean to intimate the
amalgamation ef iron and steel works
which was made up recently.
As another reason, we should say that
the present condition of private companies'
business is nut by all means unfavourable.
although it would not last
long. Kveii if we have much favour
with them, it should not be .allowable to
continue this condition in future coursi
of business, for the unruly compel it ion
among themselves will endanger their
business, and thus their future will
be guaranteed.
To some extent, the competition may
be necessary and bring about a better
ail vantage on the part of the citizens,
luit. if the competition goes across i)i,.
boundary line, their business sh.ouhl
equally receive a crushing blow, and th.-y
should be led to the destiny of mutual
downfall, resulting in the trouble on Hiside
of citizens in the long run.
In
! hat
sonse the said
05 bus Im><-.
and city bus of the Greater Tokyo nugU
throw
wfi
their
golden
rule
''B., ••
I'ir.st
with
self-sacrificing
spirit,
a; .!
sustain
t heir
mutual
interest,
ft- :!
higher point of view, in order to par' 1 .-',
pate in tie- amalgamation of the muni, :-
pal
traffic
organs, for
the public
in'<vest
.
If their personal liquidation can i>.'
made towards the amalgamation, there
will be no more unruly competition and
no more risk, ami the business will be
gua ra lit eed with a profit, the profit
which had heretofore been spent for a
"lete service will now be appropriated
to fart her extension of bus lines ami
the traffic facilities will become more
smooth, so that the general public can
enjoy the share of profit indirectly.
Now, such an opinion
is keenly advocated
among the people, creating a sensation
in the circle of the ! usiness
men
concerned,
but
the
realisation
of
the
opinion
is still
indefinite,
to our
great
regret.
$