Society

Making travel easier for wheelchair users in Japan

Feb 04 (NHK) - Transportation operators in Japan have launched a trial information-sharing project to make it easier for wheelchair users to fly and transfer to rail or road.

Mobility as a Service, or MaaS, is a joint channel for services including booking multiple modes of transportation.

Airlines, train and taxi companies share details before travel with the approval of passengers with disability. They include the size of their wheelchair or the kind of assistance they need.

The new system notifies operators of the passenger's route and is expected to enable them to respond smoothly in case of delays or other problems.

Previously, people with disability had to provide such information to each transportation operator separately to get assistance.

Osawa Nobuaki, who is in charge of the trial at All Nippon Airways, says the aim is to make it possible for wheelchair users to go anywhere, anytime they want.

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