Sustainable transport refers to any means of transportation that has a low effect on the surroundings that is inclusive of non-motorized. In essence, sustainable transport includes car sharing, green vehicles and constructing or defending urban transport systems that are fuel efficient and promote healthy lifestyles and are space saving . Thus, Japan’s sustainable transport since the country has demonstrated immense effort towards realizing sustainable transport by incorporating technology in the manufacturing of vehicles, and in the transport sector as a whole whilst encouraging other means of clean and resource effective transportation such as cycling and walking.
The current transport system in Japan is dominated by Shinkansen and Japanese subway, and is largely attributed to excellent services, punctuality, and environmentally friendly. With this, there have been tremendous efforts towards making the current petroleum-based transport system in the country more sustainable .
Cycling
First and foremost, the utilization of bicycles has increased with social experiments revolving around it. Instead of car rental, the country has bicycle rental which allows the user to sightsee during the daytime and holiday season. With this, cycling offers the best alternative mode of transport to vehicles since it provides freedom and flexibility to the users; hence, considered sustainable transportation given the fact that cycling does not contaminate the air. In essence, cycling does not uses fossil fuels which would contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emission to the environment, and reduces the need to build, service and dispose of automobiles such as cars since the cost of buying and maintaining bicycles is much cheaper than automobiles whilst enabling people to socially interact and feel much more at home within the society.
Fuel-cell vehicles and zero-emission electric
More importantly, the automobiles used within the country are of hybrid ones whilst some of them are of fuel-cell vehicles and zero-emission electric ones is spearheded by renewable electricity, that implies fuel cells completely eliminate greenhouse gases. In essence, lack of pollution is one of the many reasons why nowaday hydrogen is the clean transportation fuel. Thus, this will result into zero-emissions of harmful gases such carbon dioxide and sulfur oxide into the atmosphere since the emission from these automobile will be water and heat, which are not harmful to the environment. However, the cost of building hydrogen fuel cell automobiles and electric train will be high; hence, lower income consumers will not afford this mode of transportation. Which will provide low mobility thereby social development since it restricts the travel options.
Public transportation
In essence, Eco cars have been used as a means of commercial transport since they are clean, reliable, punctual, and always very comfortable. With this, the country promotes the use of public transportation to reduce reliance on private cars and Japanese subway while promoting the development of the next generation tramway system. Above all, Japan’s railway system dominated by Shinkansen is electric ensuring that greenhouse gas emission is minimal in order to prevent environmental pollution. Public transportation is indispensable for young people without a driver’s license and for elderly people who are unable to drive, in areas where people without cars can’t work. Even so, the lack of private vehicle users may need to rely on public transport. With this, public transportation reduces air pollution since overall automobile emission and the pollutant that create smog is minimal given the fact that majority of the population prefer public vehicles to private ones. Equally, people will not spend much of their disposable income on transportation since the public transportation is cheaper; hence, will encourage economic development through investments of projects such as housing that will also solve the housing problems in urban areas.
Walking
Notably, the country has smoothened the flow of traffic through the employment of traffic signal control systems that precisely detect the presence of automobiles on the road whilst measuring traffic volume for easing trafic jams, and improving street environment for walkers; hence, securing the walking area as community space, on the basis that the Japaneses as the major players in the transport industry.When the street environment is safer and more convenient, people will consider using walking instead of other transportation.Moreover, short trips cause more pollution because the vehicle consumes more fuel when the engine is cool, and the carbon footprint of short trips almost doubles so Japan government encourages commuters to use the walking method to get to work as much as possible, so that people can have more time to think during the commute and work, and relieve the stress of one day’s work. Furthermore, Japan government encourages parents not to drive while picking up or dropping off children. According to some studies, children who walk or ride to school are more focused, more cognitive, and have a better mood. Thus, active walking is highly efficient form of transportation in urban areas since it does not emit greenhouse gas to the environment because people can choose to walk rather than drive. With this, safer and pedestrian street, mixed land use, and access transit boost economic development since more money on transportation costs is saved whilst encouraging healthier community.
In conclusion, Japan is among the few countries with relatively low greenhouse gas emission. In essence, green transports witnessed in Japan include electric trains, eco automobiles, cylcing, and walking. With this, Japan values its sustainable transport choices and the country is ever innovating to find new ways that can minimize the impact of transport on the environment as a whole.