Traffic Control Test Using Parking Lots Conducted in Tokyo

August 10, 2019

Tokyo- A Japanese public-private council conducted a test on Saturday to assess the effectiveness of a planned traffic control measure during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics that would make coin-operated parking lots reservation-only.

The measure is designed to prevent traffic jams caused by vehicles running around in search for parking spaces by calling on those without reservations to park at places away from competition venues.

The council includes the transport ministry and the Tokyo Games organizing committee.

The test involved 12 parking lots for 53 vehicles in total near the New National Stadium, utilizing the opportunity of a poplar annual display of fireworks at an adjacent location on Saturday.

In the test that started at 10 a.m. (1 a.m. GMT), sign boards were placed at the entrance of the parking lots to inform drivers that they are reservation-only. Based on the outcome of the test, the council will also consider ways to better provide guidance to cars coming without reservations.

An official of Times24 Co., a coin-operated parking space operator that participated in the test, said, "We expect traffic to be restrained by making each parking space available for only one vehicle per day."

A similar test will be carried out near the venues of Olympic and Paralympic test events slated for autumn.

The ministry plans to restrict vehicles without parking-lot reservations from running near the competition venues during the games. It will decide which roads to be covered by the restriction based on the results of these tests. Jiji Press