Transportation Policies for the Elderly and Disabled in Japan

Abstract

There are two main direction how local transport system for elderly and disabled (E&D) has been developed, and how the measures have been taken. First, the situation disabled cannot participate socially has been regarded as legal discrimination, especially with remarkable changes in the United States of American, Canada, and Sweden. Secondly, social participation of E&D has been advanced both politically and technically in transportation. One example is the special correspondence: For E&D who cannot use conventional public transport, specialized transport has been operated, and who can move in cars have been supported. The other example is from the viewpoint of universal design; Conventional public transport has been started to change to increase the use of E&D, in accessible design, subsidy for user side and supply side, and information system. With these changes, E&D will be able to move comfortably, and it will lead us to create social inclusion. At present, the rift between the countermeasures of specialized transport and of public transport (bus and railway) has been begun to be closed. By the transportation system of Demand Responsive Transport (DRT), concretely service route in Sweden and flex route in Europe, new direction of countermeasures has been started to grope. In the main text, this study was conducted on the following five countries, USA, Canada, Sweden, UK and Japan. Firstly, after clarifying system characteristics in each country, the relationship with human rights which has been deeply connected to mobility problems of E&D will be explained. Secondly, the development of surrounding Special Transport Service (ST Service), which has worked as a driving force to develop community transport system, and securement of accessibility in public transport, will be started. Thirdly, the course of action in community transport system will be hammered out.