Labour crunch plus soaring delivery volume make drones, self-driving vehicles attractive.
Earlier this month, Japan’s Prime Minister’s Office released the strategic blueprint to roll out this automated delivery system by the early 2020s to lessen the strain on its overburdened delivery sector.
To get there, Tokyo has vowed to be an adaptive “playmaker” that will rewrite laws and promptly introduce the necessary infrastructure while working closely with private firms.
By next year, Japan will start to deliver parcels by drones in its mountainous regions. Rollout in urban cities will come by the early 2020s. Tests on driverless vehicles will begin by next March; unmanned cars and trucks will be on its roads by 2020 and 2022 respectively. Unmanned ships will also set sail by 2025.
Japan’s delivery firms are struggling to cope with a surge in demand amid a labour shortage. The surge in demand from a growth in online shopping is exacerbated by same-day deliveries. Labour shortage of delivery jobs from a shrinking labour force also worsened due to the long working hours and low wages.
To cope, delivery firms have implemented pick-up options at convenience stores or delivery lockers at train stations. Firms are also tapping smartphone apps through which recipients must confirm their availability before a delivery, to cut down on wasted trips.
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Source: The Straits Times, 18 June 2017