Harmonious Mobility transport system tested by Toyota

Date: 3/10/2012

Car manufacturer Toyota is testing a new transport system called (Ha:mo) Harmonious Mobility, which selects the best means of transport for the passenger.

It does this through analysis of traffic conditions and public transport systems and is backed up with a network of vehicle sharing stations.

Four such stations have been set up at Toyota city, where single occupant vehicles are parked.

The system is split into two parts Ha:mo Navi and Ha:mo Ride, with the former linking users with transportation system operators to find seamless travel routes.

Ha:mo Ride is where the compact electric vehicles come in as they offer travellers the opportunity to travel short distances based on a sharing system.

Those with smartphones will be able to use the multi-modal route guide part of Ha:mo Navi to assess multiple modes of transport, including trains, buses, cars and taxis, and decide on the best option under current conditions.

When personal car use is included, the service will also highlight areas where parking spaces are available.

The idea is that in future Ha:mo Navi will be combined with Ha:mo Ride showing users where the electric vehicles are positioned and how they would fit into their route.

Vehicle battery use is also being tested by the initiative as part of the energy data management system.

It is hoped that the Ha:mo system will be of benefit to society and encourage citizens to opt for public transport when travelling short distances.

Testing of the system is getting underway this month, with the Ha:mo Ride stations set up at Chukyo University, Josui Station on the Nagoya Railroad and Kaizu Station on the Aichi Loop Line.

Around 100 students and staff of the university are to test the system using smartphones and integrated circuit cards to gain access to the vehicles for free.

Once this has been established there are plans to extend the system to somewhere between ten and 20 stations, 100 vehicles and 1,000 users, who will be charged a fee for the service.

Posted by Nick Anderson

International Transport News and Sustainable Transport News