Editor's Note: Katsuji Doi, president of the
Japan International Transport Institute, puts into perspective the recent consolidation of
two Japanese ministries and two cabinet-level agencies into a single ministry responsible
for transport, infrastructure, land use, and regional development in Hokkaido, the
northern most island of the Japanese archipelago. The merger is part of the reorganization
of the Japanese national government that became effective this year, and it put on record
the transit/land use connection. It is expected to bring about better policy coordination,
combining higher efficiency and faster decision making with lower personnel costs.
By Katsuji Doi
President
Japan International Transport Institute
Special Advisor to Minister of Land,
Infrastructure and Transpor
The unification earlier this year that has turned four separate national government
departments into a single Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is providing
policy and operational benefits that will be felt by the public at large.
The merger has also brought substantial cost and productivity advantages. The merger
has reduced the number of divisions in the respective ministries and agencies from 231 to
194, and the number of bureaus from 21 to 14. A 10 percent reduction in the number of
personnel overall is expected in the near future. Regional bureaus were also amalgamated,
reducing their total number from 13 to eight.
While work continues on ongoing programs and measures of the four former ministries and
agencies, the new setup has cleared the way for a more consistent national transport
policy. The policy issues to be addressed in a coordinated fashion by the combined
ministry include the effective response to an aging society; solutions to environmental
problems; building of an advanced information society; and domestic response to
globalization.
In the past, roads and expressways used to be planned principally by the former
Ministry of Construction and the National Land Agency. They were then built and operated
by regional organizations of the Ministry of Construction, public corporations, or local
government bodies. In other words, road transport was excluded from the responsibility of
the former Ministry of Transport, which otherwise was responsible for all surface, marine,
and air transport.
The merger of the two ministries has brought all modes of transportation under the
management of a single minister, a move that will allow for a more consistent
administration of transport policies. Road traffic regulations, however, remain under the
jurisdiction of the National Police.
Our fiscal years begin on April 1, and the Fiscal Year 2001 budget for the new ministry
already includes a number of the new unified measures that have been made possible by the
merger, including:
- Functional improvement of transport nodes
, including pedestrian walkway networks,
traffic circles, and underground spaces at major terminals in metropolitan regions; serial
overhead crossings and passages for transfer between rail and buses and of parking lots
for cars, bikes, and motorcycles in regional cities and suburban rail stations; and
barrier-free facilities at commuter stations and in their vicinity, as well as in public
transport networks.
- Alleviation of traffic congestion and atmospheric pollution
, including the building
of ring roads and the elimination of guarded grade crossings that "never open"
due to very frequent train services during rush hours, and the promotion of transport
demand management measures.
- Shorter and more comfortable commutes
for residents of metropolitan areas, including
the provision of good quality housing convenient to places Of work, along with railway
development and the construction of new stations. Housing that can be accessed directly
from stations will be developed, using the space around stations more effectively.
- The building of more convenient links to airports, ports, and transportation terminals,
including development and functional improvement of airports, harbors, and other
transportation terminals and the building of high standard highways and connecting
roads for faster transportation as well as smoother transit and transfer.
- Use of information technology for disaster prevention, including the sharing of
information in the possession of government organizations responsible for meteorology and
flood prevention, and the incorporation of IT for more efficient observation and
surveillance systems.
- The development and dissemination of Geographic Information Systems, including the
design of a mechanism comprising an "electronic national land scheme" to
distribute and use GIS data via the Internet, and the development of basic geographic
data, electronic charts, numeric maps, and national land statistics for national land
management, marketing, and other purposes.
The new ministry also will coordinate overseas development assistance in emerging
nations, using the experience and technology it has accumulated as Japan’s premier
authority for public works. International cooperation in infrastructure development is
being carried out in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation.
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