和英対照・社説 - 朝日の時事英語

《和英対照・社説》

2010.02.08

English	日本語
Lifting expressway tolls	高速無料化　小規模でも賛成できない
The transport ministry has announced plans to abolish tolls on some expressways from around June. While it is good news to users, the policy raises a host of problems. Since the ministry has not properly addressed the issue, we feel we cannot support the policy. The abolition of expressway tolls was one of the pillars of the Democratic Party of Japan's campaign manifesto for the Lower House election last August. As a first step, it plans to abolish tolls on 50 sections of 37 expressways encompassing 1,626 kilometers, or 18 percent of all expressways across Japan, as "a social experiment." Sumio Mabuchi, senior vice minister of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism, who is in charge of the program, stressed its advantages in a news conference: "We selected routes that are believed to contribute to local communities. We expect the plan to bring about positive economic effects to a certain degree." This is good news for drivers. The program is expected to work in favor of tourist facilities in relevant areas. However, there are positive and negative sides to the policy. The fact that many people oppose it, as shown by public opinion polls, illustrates there is widespread concern about its negative impact. Basically, the abolition of expressway tolls promotes car use and flies in the face of measures to combat global warming, another key policy issue of the administration headed by Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama. For one thing, the policy will lead to a rise in carbon dioxide emissions by privately owned cars. But that is not all. It will also affect the operation of public transportation systems such as railways, bus services and ferries that compete with cars. Properly speaking, such means of public transportation must be strengthened as part of anti-global warming measures but instead, the policy would weigh heavily on them. It could have a major impact on local public transportation systems, whose survival is at stake. It could also deprive local residents of their means of transportation. In particular, this would affect students and elderly people. For example, the Shikoku Railway Co., which is the smallest among all JR companies, has been making painful efforts to cut costs, including electricity use, to maintain routes. If expressway tolls are abolished, "Our efforts up to now would come to naught," said Kiyohiro Matsuda, the JR Shikoku president. Since tolls would be abolished on some portions of the Matsuyama and Kochi expressways with which the railway competes, there inevitably will be a serious impact. The fact that huge amounts of money would have to be injected on a regular basis is also a big problem, given the financial difficulties that prevail. The abolition of expressway tolls in fiscal 2010 will require 100 billion yen ($1.1 billion) for the government to offset the revenue loss. The administration will study the impact of its experiment, which calls for scrapping tolls on expressways across the nation as a general rule with the exception of a number of routes, including the Shuto and Hanshin expressways, in fiscal 2012. But for that, annual revenues of up to 1.8 trillion yen ($20 billion) would be needed. Although the government claims its policy will have a positive economic effect, and while communities along expressways may thrive, those along conventional roads could lose business. We believe there are more important areas that the Hatoyama administration could lavish funds on; for example, strengthening social security and education. Since the government suffers from a serious budget deficit, we believe it should re-examine whether it really needs to abolish expressway tolls. We also urge the government to take into consideration the growing trend in the United States and among countries in Europe, where expressways are free, to introduce tolls to protect the environment. --The Asahi Shimbun, Feb. 4	国土交通省が高速道路の無料化を一部区間で６月をめどに始めると発表した。利用者には喜ばしいが、多くの問題点を置き去りにして進めるやり方で、賛成はできない。　高速無料化は、昨夏の総選挙で民主党が政権公約の柱の一つにした政策だ。まず「社会実験」として全国の高速道路の２割弱に当たる３７路線５０区間、約１６００キロを無料化の対象にするという。　無料化プランの責任者である馬淵澄夫国土交通副大臣は「地域に貢献するであろう路線を選定した。一定程度の経済効果を生むのではないか」と、記者会見で利点を強調した。　ドライバーには朗報で、対象地域の観光施設などにもプラスだ。しかし、政策には光と影の両面がある。さまざまな世論調査で、高速無料化に対する反対の声が多いのも、マイナスの影響を心配すればこそだろう。　高速無料化は基本的に自動車利用を増やす政策で、鳩山政権が力を入れようとしている温暖化対策と矛盾する。これはマイカーによる二酸化炭素の排出が増えるだけではない。　競合する鉄道や路線バス、フェリーなどの公共交通機関の経営にも響く。これらは本来、温暖化対策として強化すべきものだが、逆に圧迫されてゆく。存続が危ぶまれている地方の公共交通機関の経営には即座に深刻な影響が及び、通学や高齢者など地域住民の足が奪われる心配もある。　たとえば全国のＪＲで最小規模のＪＲ四国は、路線維持のために節電など涙ぐましい経費削減の努力を続けてきた。高速を無料化されたら、「これまでの努力はひとたまりもない」と、松田清宏社長はいう。こんどの「実験」でも、競合する松山道と高知道が無料化の対象となるため、かなりの影響が避けられない。　深刻な財政難のなかで巨額の財源を投じ続けなくてはならないことも、高速無料化の大きな問題だ。　来年度の無料化に必要な予算は１千億円。鳩山政権は実験で効果や影響を検証し、２０１２年度に首都高速と阪神高速などを除く全国で原則無料化に移行する構えだが、それには毎年度最大１．８兆円の財源が必要となる。　経済効果といっても、高速道路沿線がにぎわう代わりに在来線沿いの地域がさびれるかもしれない。　鳩山政権は、この巨額のお金で社会保障や教育の強化など、もっとほかにすべきことがあるのではないか。　国の財政が赤字を垂れ流し続けている現状を考えれば、まずは高速無料化という政策を事業仕分けの対象として吟味することが先決だ。　無料にしてきた欧米の国々でも、環境対策から有料化の流れが強まっていることも考えてほしい。 (02月04日)

English

日本語

Lifting expressway tolls

高速無料化　小規模でも賛成できない

The transport ministry has announced plans to abolish tolls on some expressways from around June. While it is good news to users, the policy raises a host of problems. Since the ministry has not properly addressed the issue, we feel we cannot support the policy.

The abolition of expressway tolls was one of the pillars of the Democratic Party of Japan's campaign manifesto for the Lower House election last August. As a first step, it plans to abolish tolls on 50 sections of 37 expressways encompassing 1,626 kilometers, or 18 percent of all expressways across Japan, as "a social experiment."

Sumio Mabuchi, senior vice minister of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism, who is in charge of the program, stressed its advantages in a news conference: "We selected routes that are believed to contribute to local communities. We expect the plan to bring about positive economic effects to a certain degree."

This is good news for drivers. The program is expected to work in favor of tourist facilities in relevant areas. However, there are positive and negative sides to the policy. The fact that many people oppose it, as shown by public opinion polls, illustrates there is widespread concern about its negative impact.

Basically, the abolition of expressway tolls promotes car use and flies in the face of measures to combat global warming, another key policy issue of the administration headed by Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama.

For one thing, the policy will lead to a rise in carbon dioxide emissions by privately owned cars. But that is not all.

It will also affect the operation of public transportation systems such as railways, bus services and ferries that compete with cars. Properly speaking, such means of public transportation must be strengthened as part of anti-global warming measures but instead, the policy would weigh heavily on them.

It could have a major impact on local public transportation systems, whose survival is at stake. It could also deprive local residents of their means of transportation. In particular, this would affect students and elderly people.

For example, the Shikoku Railway Co., which is the smallest among all JR companies, has been making painful efforts to cut costs, including electricity use, to maintain routes.

If expressway tolls are abolished, "Our efforts up to now would come to naught," said Kiyohiro Matsuda, the JR Shikoku president.

Since tolls would be abolished on some portions of the Matsuyama and Kochi expressways with which the railway competes, there inevitably will be a serious impact.

The fact that huge amounts of money would have to be injected on a regular basis is also a big problem, given the financial difficulties that prevail.

The abolition of expressway tolls in fiscal 2010 will require 100 billion yen ($1.1 billion) for the government to offset the revenue loss.

The administration will study the impact of its experiment, which calls for scrapping tolls on expressways across the nation as a general rule with the exception of a number of routes, including the Shuto and Hanshin expressways, in fiscal 2012. But for that, annual revenues of up to 1.8 trillion yen ($20 billion) would be needed.

Although the government claims its policy will have a positive economic effect, and while communities along expressways may thrive, those along conventional roads could lose business.

We believe there are more important areas that the Hatoyama administration could lavish funds on; for example, strengthening social security and education.

Since the government suffers from a serious budget deficit, we believe it should re-examine whether it really needs to abolish expressway tolls.

We also urge the government to take into consideration the growing trend in the United States and among countries in Europe, where expressways are free, to introduce tolls to protect the environment.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Feb. 4

　国土交通省が高速道路の無料化を一部区間で６月をめどに始めると発表した。利用者には喜ばしいが、多くの問題点を置き去りにして進めるやり方で、賛成はできない。

　高速無料化は、昨夏の総選挙で民主党が政権公約の柱の一つにした政策だ。まず「社会実験」として全国の高速道路の２割弱に当たる３７路線５０区間、約１６００キロを無料化の対象にするという。

　無料化プランの責任者である馬淵澄夫国土交通副大臣は「地域に貢献するであろう路線を選定した。一定程度の経済効果を生むのではないか」と、記者会見で利点を強調した。

　ドライバーには朗報で、対象地域の観光施設などにもプラスだ。しかし、政策には光と影の両面がある。さまざまな世論調査で、高速無料化に対する反対の声が多いのも、マイナスの影響を心配すればこそだろう。

　高速無料化は基本的に自動車利用を増やす政策で、鳩山政権が力を入れようとしている温暖化対策と矛盾する。これはマイカーによる二酸化炭素の排出が増えるだけではない。

　競合する鉄道や路線バス、フェリーなどの公共交通機関の経営にも響く。これらは本来、温暖化対策として強化すべきものだが、逆に圧迫されてゆく。存続が危ぶまれている地方の公共交通機関の経営には即座に深刻な影響が及び、通学や高齢者など地域住民の足が奪われる心配もある。

　たとえば全国のＪＲで最小規模のＪＲ四国は、路線維持のために節電など涙ぐましい経費削減の努力を続けてきた。高速を無料化されたら、「これまでの努力はひとたまりもない」と、松田清宏社長はいう。こんどの「実験」でも、競合する松山道と高知道が無料化の対象となるため、かなりの影響が避けられない。

　深刻な財政難のなかで巨額の財源を投じ続けなくてはならないことも、高速無料化の大きな問題だ。

　来年度の無料化に必要な予算は１千億円。鳩山政権は実験で効果や影響を検証し、２０１２年度に首都高速と阪神高速などを除く全国で原則無料化に移行する構えだが、それには毎年度最大１．８兆円の財源が必要となる。

　経済効果といっても、高速道路沿線がにぎわう代わりに在来線沿いの地域がさびれるかもしれない。

　鳩山政権は、この巨額のお金で社会保障や教育の強化など、もっとほかにすべきことがあるのではないか。

　国の財政が赤字を垂れ流し続けている現状を考えれば、まずは高速無料化という政策を事業仕分けの対象として吟味することが先決だ。

　無料にしてきた欧米の国々でも、環境対策から有料化の流れが強まっていることも考えてほしい。

(02月04日)

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