Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. recently lent a total of 60
units of the Yamaha PAS electro-hybrid bicycle to rental
operators in the Arashiyama-Sagano districtof Kyoto on a
trial "monitor" basis.
Kyoto is actively promoting a program of reducing exhaust
gas and noise in o
rder to protect the city's priceless cultural heritage
and this move came in response to the city's directive to
cycle rental operators to introduce electro-hybrid
bicycles in their rental fleets.
PAS rent-a-cycles in use in Japan's tourism
capital, Kyoto
The Arashiyama-Sagano district of Kyoto is an
important tourist area that includes temples like
Tenryu-ji, which has been designated a World Heritage
site. The tourist traffic into this area has also brought
with it a severe plague of exhaust, noise and traffic
jams that the city is seeking ways to combat. In order to
protect the invaluable cultural assets of this district
by reducing automotive exhaust and noise while at the
same time boosting its image as a tourist area, the city
of Kyoto is considering designating the Arashiyama-Sagano
district as a "Priority Area for Low-pollution
Vehicles."
In a report issued this past March by an independent
specialized research organization commissioned by the
city of Kyoto in connection with this plan, the following
conclusion was reached: "By beginning with a
concentrated introduction of various types of
nonpolluting vehicles for services like city buses, local
taxis, buses for daycare, nursery schools and facilities
for the elderly, etc., that pass through the district, it
would eventually be possible to declare the district a
complete 'Free Zone for Low-pollution Vehicles' which no
gasoline or diesel powered vehicles would be allowed to
enter."
It also happens that from December 1 to 10, Kyoto was
host to the summit on global warming (COP3) attended by
some 5,000 representatives from over 170 nations and
international organizations. Seizing the occasion of the
COP3 summit, the city of Kyoto issued a directive to
rental cycle operators to introduce electro-hybrid
bicycles into their fleets as vehicles that could be used
in such a 'Free Zone,' thus demonstrating as the host
city one type of practical measure that cities can
undertake to deal with environmental problems. In answer
to this call, Yamaha was able to support the city's
program by supplying its electro-hybrid bicycle PAS on a
monitor lease basis.
The PAS electro-hybrid bicycles were lent to the
following four operators in the Arashiyama-Sagano
district.
· Arashiyama Cypic: Nishi-ichikawa-cho, Arashiyama,
Nishikyo-ku
· Rent-a-cycle Kyoto: Tsukurimichi-cho, Saga Tenryu-ji,
Ukyo-ku
· Sagano Kanko Tetsudo (Sagano Tourist Railway):
Kurumamichi-cho, Saga Tenryu-ji, Ukyo-ku
· Arashiyama Ladies Hotel: Tsukurimichi-cho, Saga
Tenryu-ji, Ukyo- ku
To each of the operators have been lent units of the
Yamaha "New PAS" 24-inch and the "PAS Star
Cross" that are now being rented out to tourists for
getting around the area. As for the number of units,
Arashiyama Cypic received 20 units, Rent-a-cycle Kyoto
and Sagano Tourist Railway were each lent 15 units and
the Arashiyama Ladies Hotel 10 units, bringing the total
to 60 units.
Arashiyama-Sagano is a hilly district where a number of
famous temples are spread over a relatively large tourist
area. In the past, rental cycle shops would often hear
complaints about the difficulty of riding conventional
bicycles over the hills of the area, but since the Yamaha
PAS has been introduced the "fun" of riding
them has made them increasingly popular.
One 26-year-old woman commented, "With a vehicle
like the PAS to get around with there is no need to come
by car. A combination of trains and a rental PAS is all
you need to fully enjoy sightseeing here."
Another woman (32) said, "It is cars coming into the
narrow streets of the Arashiyama-Sagano district that
cause the traffic jams here. Bicycles are a good means
not only to relieve traffic congestion but also help
ensure the safety of pedestrians. Especially bicycles
like the electro-hybrid Yamaha PAS with their reduced
physical strain for the users are something that people
feel good about renting."
The electro-hybrid bicycle Yamaha PAS
The electro-hybrid bicycle is a product that was
originally developed and released by Yamaha Motor as a
world's first. The PAS's Power Assist System utilizes
sensors to measure the pedaling force applied by the
rider and the speed of the bicycle and, based on these
parameters, automatically supplies a commensurate amount
of supplementary driving force from the battery-powered
electric motor. At times like starting up or riding
uphill, into the wind or with a heavy load, the sensors
instantly detect the increased force being applied to the
pedals and answer by increasing the drive force from the
motor.
However, as the bicycle speed increases past a certain
point the amount of supplementary force applied from the
motor decreases proportionately, and when it reaches a
predetermined top speed the power assist system shuts off
completely and the bicycle is powered solely by the rider?s
pedaling, so there is no fear of the bicycle reaching
excessive speeds due to the action of the motor.
At present there are seven models in the PAS line-up. The
PAS power units are also being sold on an OEM basis to
major bicycle manufacturers in Japan, Europe and the
U.S.A., helping to bring total production of the units to
the 250,000 mark in 1997.
Tourists ride rent-a-cycles on the road leading
to the
Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple in Sagano.
(New PAS 24-inch)
The Rent-a-cycle Kyoto shop front at
Arashiyama Station on the Keifuku Dentetsu railroad line
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