The Lens: If Japan wants air taxis to take off, it should regulate safety and noise pollution

Chan Ka-ming, 15, Pui Kiu College

Widespread use of electric-powered air taxi services can provide many advantages to commuters across the globe as well as to the Japanese economy.

These new taxi services can reduce traffic congestion and improve transport efficiency. They can improve cross-city and cross-country mobility, especially because traffic, buildings, rivers or mountains might limit public transport on the ground.

The development of electric-powered air taxi services may also stimulate economic growth and create employment opportunities.

In the event of a natural disaster such as an earthquake or a tsunami, the electric-powered air taxi services can provide supplies to those in need and help transport people who are hurt or stranded.

However, there are still some concerns that need to be addressed. There must be adequate safety regulations to ensure these vehicles operate safely. It is also essential to address how the services impact the environment and how they use resources. The issue of noise pollution can be solved by ensuring that noise safety regulations are implemented adequately. Lastly, it is important to ensure people from all financial backgrounds of society can access the air taxis.

The Japanese government and stakeholders should work together to set up policies for air taxis that include safety regulations, infrastructure development and noise reduction. Public awareness organisations and test programmes can provide advice on safety, accessibility, and noise concerns. Overall, Japan can benefit from air taxis, as long as they ensure safety and efficiency.

Read last week’s news snippet here

Authorities in the ancient city of Kamakura in Japan are cracking down on the rapidly growing population of Formosan squirrels that have been terrorising the entire community. The squirrels have damaged wooden shrines and burrowed into their thatched roofs. They have also stolen local residents’ crops and chewed through several power cables.

In 2000, local authorities introduced a scheme to catch and euthanise – or humanely kill – the squirrels, and they captured 69 of them at the time.

But each year, officials captured more squirrels, reaching an estimated high of 1,571 squirrels in 2018. This year, they are expected to surpass that, as officials have captured 1,533 in the first eight months of 2023 alone.

Even environmental activists agree that invasive species are causing too much damage to Japan’s native plant life and, as in the case of Formosan squirrels, believe that the most appropriate solution is euthanisation. An invasive species is one that is not native to an area.

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A Kamakura city official who asked not to be named said, “A big issue here is biodiversity. As an island, Japan has long been a hotspot for diversity and that is being endangered by many different invasive species,”

The critters are thought to be the descendants of squirrels that were bought as pets but released by their owners after they became too large.

Keiko Yamazaki, who is a board member of the Japanese Coalition for Animal Welfare, said that in a recent discussion at the animal study group, Go, around 70 per cent of people concluded it was necessary to euthanise some invasive animals.

Just as important, she said, were measures taken by the government to make it harder to illegally import exotic animals.
Staff writers

• How do invasive species affect a region’s biodiversity? Are there better solutions besides humanely killing the squirrels?

• What systems, rules and safety measures can be put in place to prevent future problems with invasive species?