TMF & JADA Select Automobile Dealer Community Support Projects to Receive Grants
TOKYO, JAPAN
APRIL 10, 2020
In areas of Japan where public transportation has been shrinking due to depopulation, a problematic issue in regional cities, there are increasing cases of impediments to the mobility necessary for the day-to-day activities. This particularly impacts older adults obligated to surrender their drivers’ licenses and children too young to have licenses, hindering their activities including commuting to school, going to doctor’s appointments, and shopping. Moreover, providing easily accessible and convenient means of transportation is an important issue regardless of the region.
To address this issue, the Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF) collaborated with the Japan Automobile Dealers Association (JADA) to put out a call for proposals to automobile dealers that are well acquainted with local conditions. They requested proposals that facilitate programs and mechanisms that go beyond business and intend to contribute to their local communities. In response, 51 proposals were received.
University professors, representatives of non-profit organizations, and other experts working on regional management and solving local mobility issues reviewed the proposals based on the screening criteria outlined below, which were shared when the call for proposals was made. They selected 29 proposals to receive grants.
Screening Criteria
- Projects that contribute to enriching daily life through solving challenges such as mobility issues
- Projects that are in agreement with the intentions of local residents in the target regions
- Projects that can have ripple effects on other regions and organizations nationwide and serve as models
Number of Projects Selected by Region
| Hokkaido | 3 |
| Tohoku | 3 |
| Kanto | 7 |
| Chubu | 5 |
| Kinki | 5 |
| Shikoku | 2 |
| Kyushu & Okinawa | 4 |
| Total | 29 |
The selected projects include many that make use of the automobile dealers’ experience and know-how gained from their longstanding involvement in local mobility. Examples include a mechanism to operate on-demand community buses in order to increase convenience, reduce economic burdens, and encourage people to go out, and utilizing test drive vehicles owned by dealers as mobility support for seniors and others who wish to go out but do not have any means of transportation when those vehicles are not in use. Grants will be provided in stages starting in late April. TMF will confirm that suitable progress is being made and will provide advice to ensure that all of the projects contribute to solving local issues and are maintained even after the grants end.
About the Japan Automobile Dealers Association
JADA was established in 1959 as a nationwide organization of automobile dealers in order to sound automobile diffusion and solve related issues. In the sales industry that plays a part in the automobile industry, which is a key industry of Japan, we are always committed to customer-first principles, aiming to stabilize the management of member dealers and improve the social status of dealers. Furthermore, we are conducting various activities from a broad perspective, such as serving the society extensively, promoting road safety, such as environmental conservation and the development of automobile transportation infrastructure.
About the Toyota Mobility Foundation
The Toyota Mobility Foundation was established in August 2014 to support the development of a more mobile society. The Foundation aims to support strong mobility systems while eliminating disparities in mobility. It utilizes Toyota’s expertise in technology, safety, and the environment, working in partnership with universities, government, non-profit organizations, research institutions and other organizations to address mobility issues around the world. Programs include resolving urban transportation problems, expanding the utilization of personal mobility, and developing solutions for next generation mobility.