Population decline may leave many rural areas without gas stations
Japan’s National Federation of Petroleum Commercial Associations has issued a report about the dwindling number of gas stations in underpopulated rural/mountainous areas of Japan:
The 153 localities cited by the group have three or fewer gas stations each. More than 40 percent of station operators in these areas are losing money and 10 percent or so said they want to shut down their businesses immediately for lack of people who would take them over or for other reasons, the federation’s survey showed.
Such a situation could leave residents of those areas without any source of gasoline for their vehicles or the kerosene used by many to heat homes in winter. The federation has called on local governments to take measures to address the problem.
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We have the same problem in Sweden. The swedish goverment has refused to do anything this far. So local companies have gone together and taken over the stations. But I don’t know if it helps.
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Do you have a link to the original report?
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So the article expects us to believe life as we know it ends when there is no gas station in the area?! By removing these gas stations, it creates an opportunity for other technologies to gain acceptance.
Maybe this is a sign to switch to other modes of transport. Like the bus running on natural gas, or the train running on nuke power.
Next they’ll blame the gas station closure on the Olympic bicycle training center next door.
Did anyone notice the incredible eye sore sticking out in that photo. No wonder residents don’t want to use it.
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There is an obvious market based solution to this problem: increase the price of fuel. If nobody buys it still, then yes, close the place down.
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Better yet – cut overhead – the rest of the world (mostly) gets by with self-serve gas – lose those two “attendants” and I bet there’s profit to be made in selling gas, in even the sticks.
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