PUBLIC COORDINATION OF PARTICIPANTS' BEHAVIOR AND EXPECTATIONS : AN ATTEMPT TO INTRODUCE LOW-EMISSION VEHICLES IN TOKYO

Abstract

In developing a methodology of implementing sociotechnology, it would be a promising idea that the public sector promotes the introduction of new technologies by supporting the proper functioning of the market mechanism, rather than by replacing the market through direct regulation. In this paper, I examine the case of a recent attempt by Tokyo Metropolitan Government to make a shift in automobile uses in Tokyo from diesel vehicles to low-emission vehicles such as compressed natural gas vehicles. The new initiative encouraged car users, car makers, and fuel infrastructure providers to participate in open dialogues, with an intention to coordinate the behavior and expectation of the relevant actors crucial for the introduction of clean vehicles. The results of the public coordination and their implications are discussed.