Special Transport Network of TOKYO
STNT

   Special Transport Network of TOKYO (STNT) consists of voluntary organizations and groups of volunteers that provide transport services to disabled and elderly people.

   In Japan, voluntary organizations and groups mainly working for the disabled began to provide special transport services with accessible vans in 1975, and this move spread over the whole country in the former of 1980’s. In 1990’s, this sector has grown so rapidly and now there are about 700 schemes in Japan. They are run mainly by voluntary organizations, councils of social welfare (organizations providing social services) and independent living centers. However, the way they provide transport services is very different from one organization to another.

   In Tokyo several organizations and groups began to exchange information among themselves in 1986 and this network has developed into STNT. STNT is engaged in the following activities;

Gathering and offering information,
Research,
Counseling,
Coordination among member organizations,
Making manuals for service provision,
Publishing of Guidebook of ST Service providers in Japan as well as in Tokyo,
Offering a training seminar for drivers,
Holding a conference,
Campaigning,
   We particularly focus on action to spread the notion that mobility is one of the fundamental rights and the government has the responsibility for providing special transport services to those who cannot use conventional or ordinary transport systems like bus and railways

   We've had several meetings with government officials and Diet members and made appeals for the government's active commitment to this issue. "Transportation Accessibility Improvement Law", which passed the Diet in 2000, is one of the big achievements of our campaigning.



 Office:8-12, SHINTOMI 1-CHOME, CHUO-KU
      TOKYO 104-0041
      TEL & FAX +81-3-3206-8939
      E-mail:office @ tokyo-handicab.net