"Disaster Prevention White Paper" by the National Land Agency, 1995 edition
6. Emergency Transport Measures
The traffic facilities such as roads, railroads and ports and harbors were heavily damaged by the earthquake. Especially, as Hanshin Expressway, National Highway Route 2 and National Highway Route 43 were damaged, the road traffic function was seriously degraded. Further, the ports and harbors such as the Port of Kobe were heavily damaged. Under these circumstances, the organizations concerned and private companies in cooperation with each other secured emergency transportation facilities in the disaster area.
6-1 Emergency Transport Routes by Traffic Control etc.
Regarding traffic control, the local police made efforts to grasp road damage conditions immediately after the occurrence of disaster, and regulated traffic to unavailable and danger roads. Further, the police of neighboring prefectures made official reports through traffic information board and the like to prevent entrance of vehicles into the disaster area.
At 6:00 of January 18, when available routes for emergency transport vehicles were checked, the roads such as National Highway Route 2 in Hyogo Prefecture were closed to vehicles except emergency transport vehicles under the Road Traffic Act. Further, passes were issued to the emergency transport vehicles at the entrance of the emergency routes, and guidance was conducted by patrol cars and policemen.
At 20:00 of January 19, to smoothly perform transport of emergency relief supplies to the disaster area, the traffic control was changed to that under the Article 76 of the Disaster Countermeasure Basic Act, and traffic control was conducted in plural sections of roads in the Hyogo Prefecture including National Highway Route 2 by total 83 km (Fig.3-1). Further, marks of emergency transport vehicles were issued from police stations in all parts of the country.
On January 22, 28 and February 1, with partial recovery of the expressway, the emergency transport routes were changed, and additional routes were provided. Further, on January 26, to contribute to smooth bus traffic, substitute bus routes were set in a part of the routes.
Further, with full-scale reconstruction works in the disaster area, in order to mainly transport reconstruction materials, in place of the emergency transport routes under the Disaster Countermeasure Basic Act, reconstruction material transport routes under the Road Traffic Act were selected for smooth traffic for reconstruction of disaster area.
From April 29, to smoothly conduct full-scale reconstruction works and economic activities in the disaster area, new traffic regulation was put into operation with reduced regulation period and release of regulation on Sundays and holidays. The traffic regulation is continued while considering road traffic recovery situations.
The road management bodies tried to realize early recovery of roads and secured the emergency transport routes.
Especially, the road management bodies obtained an inter-regional trunk transport route such as Chugoku Driveway connecting West Japan and East Japan. Further, for smooth transport of relief supplies, living and reconstruction materials, the road management bodies made efforts to realize early recovery of transport routes by the Hanshin Expressway Public Corporation and National Highway Route 43 and the like.
On the other hand, regarding smooth road traffic for emergency material transport, information on bypass routes around the disaster area was provided. Further, the road management bodies issued a call to unnecessary and non-urgent vehicles for self-restraint, and provided road traffic information to transportation companies and public transportation corporations, thus made efforts to quickly provide on-target information.
Regarding vehicles to transfer emergency relief supplies to the disaster-stricken residents, from January 18, the road management bodies took measures to exempt these vehicles from payment of tools if they had certificates issued by the respective prefectures.
For maritime traffic safety, the Maritime Safety Agency conducted a waterway obstacle survey at the Port of Kobe and other ports immediately after the occurrence of earthquake. As there were dangers to shipping traffic at the Port of Kobe and the Port of Amagasaki, the Port of Nishinomiya and the Port of Ashiya, navigation and anchorage were partially banned in sea areas within the ports, and navigation warning upon detection of floatage was performed. Thus, the agency made efforts to secure shipping traffic safety in the ports.
6-2 Conditions of Emergency Transport Activities
In the disaster area, on the day of the occurrence of disaster, there were increasing needs for water, food and pharmaceutical drugs, then it was necessary to obtain and transport a large amount of supplies to the disaster area. Accordingly, the transportation-related ministries, agencies and organizations started emergency transport activities by aircraft (including helicopters), trucks, boats and the like. Further, the emergency transport-related ministries and agencies held a liaison conference to exchange information on conditions of traffic facilities and conditions of transportation means and the like, so as to conduct smooth emergency transport activities.
Hereinafter, the contents of emergency transport activities by the transport-related ministries, agencies and private corporations will be described.
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The Self-Defense Forces transported relief supplies and the like by aircraft, naval vessels and vehicles. The transported supplies include food for about 7,110,000 meals and the like (Table 3-4).
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The Fisheries Agency transported about 228 tons of food, waters and the like by total 13 boats belonging to the agency.
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The Maritime Safety Agency transported about 12,300 tons of fresh water, about 12,000 blankets, pharmaceutical drugs, drinking water, food, daily necessities and the like by total 282 patrol boats and total 115 airplanes (Table 3-3).
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By February 5, total 827 transport activities were conducted by fire-fighting and disaster prevention helicopters from 5 prefectures and 11 fire-fighting organizations. Food and pharmaceutical drugs were mainly transported (Table 3-5).
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Truck corporations including the Japan Trucking Association, trucking associations of the respective prefectures and Nippon Express as a designated public corporation under the Disaster Countermeasures Basic Act transported emergency relief supplies such as daily necessities by total about 12,000 (by February 28) trucks.
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The airliner companies transported 1,027 tons of relief supplies such as food, transfusion blood, transceivers and water purifiers by 341 airlines. Further, from January 20, private helicopters conducted emergency transport of food and the like.
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From January 20, Japan Freight Railway Company and railway-utilizing transportation companies undertook 49 transport cases of 545 tons of food and the like at no charge.
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Private shipping agents transported pharmaceutical drugs, food, drinking water and the like by ferries and the like.
6-3 Transport Activities within Disaster area
As described above, a large amount of relief supplies from all parts of the country were transported to the disaster area. Under circumstances where the transportation facilities were damaged, transport activities within the disaster area were initially conducted by backup staff from municipalities of all parts of the country and volunteers.
Hyogo prefecture set four supply bases including the prefectural fire-defense school, Greenpia Miki, and received the transported emergency materials from all parts of the country in these bases, classified and delivered them to respective places.
Kobe City initially transported materials via the respective ward offices, however, to perform smooth transport, set several transport bases within the disaster area, and transported the materials from these transport bases to the respective evacuation sites. The transport within the disaster area were conducted with assistance as much as possible from local truck companies, further, trucks and backup staff were dispatched from trucking associations of neighboring prefectures. Thus, with relief from traffic congestion, smooth transport was gradually achieved.