COMMUNITY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE AGEING SOCIETY
- A Case Study of Okinawa Prefecture , Japan -

Pichai Uamturapojn, Ph.D.
Director, Geo-Informatics Engineering Unit under Sustainable Infrastructure Research and Development Center (SIRDC), Faculty of Engineering, Khon Kaen University , Thailand . Tel./Fax.: +66 43 202 846-7 Email: pichai@kku.ac.th

Fukushima Shunsuke, Ph.D.
Professor, Urban Studies and Regional Planning Division, Graduate School of Engineering, University of the Ryukyus, 903-0213 Japan . Tel./Fax.: +81 98 895
8651. Email: shun@tec.u-ryukyu.ac.jp

Ando Tetsuya, Ph.D.
Associate Prof., Graduate School of Engineering, University of the Ryukyus, 903-0213 Japan . Tel./Fax.: +81 98 895 8656. Email: tando@tec.u-ryukyu.ac.jp

Ono Keiko, Ph.D.
Director, Maaji Planning Office, Graduate School of Law and Economics, Okinawa University, Japan. Tel./Fax. +81 98 831 8820. Email: ono@okinawa-u.ac.jp

As a result of longer life spans and the ageing of the baby boom generation, the proportion of world population age 65 and older is expected to increase by over 60 percent by the year 2030. Population ageing is thus a gradual process following steady socio-economic growth over several generations, which raises concerns about public social welfare and living standard for overall society. Under these circumstances, in order to establish an affluent and vital society with a pervasive spirit of solidarity, it is necessary to ensure sound improvement of people’s living conditions and a self-sufficient economic society. Japan is now experiencing a very rapid ageing of its population with anticipated percentage of population over 65 at 26.0% in 2015 and 35.7% in 2050. With respect to the world-class longevity in Okinawa , the keikamotsu transit business is one of the public transportation modes providing community-based services by local aged people for ageing society. With the reliance on user-friendly, flexible and door-to-door services, it accommodates local residential markets where reflecting the real sector of local travel characteristics. The keikamotsu organization runs as a transit feeder service within an appropriate scale of shareholding investments. It contributes through effective cooperation between local transit agencies and government organizations, which implement appropriate measurements for promoting the development of local public-private cooperation. The keikamotsu sector currently plays an imperative role adapted to social activities and economic aspects towards rapidly changing in ageing society and children’s environmental community.