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Atsuo Miyaji Director, ITS Policy and Program Office, Road Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport |
The administration is working to promote ITS as a matter of national policy, as you know. Safety is paramount in development, and many people are quite optimistic about the contribution of AHS, which coordinates advances in vehicles and ITS infrastructure. But lives are at stake in some issues we face, and many technological challenges still remain. The organization we trust will play a central role in overcoming these issues is the AHS Research Association.
Executive Director Muraoka mentioned the association's first phase of operations, and their track record here has been proven by scores of patents and other achievements. Elemental technologies become established one by one, and I expect we will soon enter a period when more specific services are offered.
IT industries are known for moving quickly when something new catches on. Service for the cell phones we all have now, for example, was introduced in 1985. Service for shoulder phones (portable phones slung across the user's shoulder) started in 1985, but in fact it did not become popular in the ensuing ten years. Making these phones more compact and affordable sparked greater interest around 1996. With the launch of i-mode service in 1999 for email and Internet access, they enjoyed explosive growth.
We believe that AHS and other elements of ITS are presently poised on the verge of a similar surge in growth. The curtain is falling on the first stage, and we will enter the second soon.
The first stage has been remarkably productive. There are now approximately 14 million car navigation systems in use. VICS, meanwhile, has been produced, marketed, and installed for a user base equivalent to roughly 80% of the navigation system users, which attests to the fact VICS is close to becoming a standard feature. ETC has topped 3 million users, and 20% of all expressway tolls are paid through ETC transactions. We feel this is a tremendous pace of growth compared to cell phones and similar innovations. The second stage of development can be compared to the period that triggered the explosion in cell phones. Because driving safety is such a significant issue, we are looking forward to the advantages that this development will bring.
There is a great
turnout for the symposium today. I recognize people from many fields: the
automotive industry, electronics industry, civil
engineering,
and
many others. We are pleased to have quite a diverse mix of participants.
I would like to thank you all for your continued support in promoting
AHS and
ITS development.
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