Report of the OTO Advisory Council (April 12, 1993)

2-(6) Relaxing regulations pertaining to storage space for motor homes

1. Complainants: the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry

2. Agency concerned: National Police Agency

3. Complaint:

Under the current "Law for Securing Storage Space of Automobiles (Garage Law)" and enforcement ordinances, automobile owners are required to secure a storage space for their vehicle within a 2-km radius of the place from which said vehicle is used. The phrase "place from which said vehicle is used" (shiyo no honkyo no ichi) is interpreted to mean the residence of the vehicle owner or person responsible for storing the vehicle. Ordinarily, in the case of an individual, this refers to the persons' address, and in the case of a company, to the location of its office.

The complainants state that in central Tokyo it is extremely difficult to secure storage space for large vehicles like motor homes within 2-km of radius their owners' residences. They also state that such large vehicles are not likely to be used like passenger autos or mini-vans for daily and leisure use as an ordinary means of transportation around the owner's home, so in practice there is little risk that they will be parked illegally. Therefore, in the of motor homes, they call for "place from which said vehicle is used" in the current law to be interpreted to include storing in locations other than in the vicinity of owners' residences.

The complainants envision parking facilities for motor homes capable of accommodating a large number of vehicles, located near expressways or highways or at existing campgrounds. If such locations were approved as the "place from which said vehicle is used" for storing motor homes, they are prepared to examine the feasibility of building such facilities.

4. Results of deliberation:

In the case of automobiles owned by individuals, under the current law the "place from which said vehicle is used" specified is the owner's home address, because automobiles are used for multiple purposes. If owners do not secure storage space near home, automobiles are likely to be left parked on the street.

Motor homes, however, are used principally for leisure in areas outside cities and their size makes them impractical to use as ordinary means of transportation. Accordingly, unlike ordinary automobiles, there is little need for the "place from which said vehicles is used" to be the owner's home address.

It is therefore necessary to allow motor homes to be parked in suitable, properly supervised facilities and consider such facilities the "place from which said vehicle is used" even if it is not the owner's residence. Once the complainants develop a detailed concept for motor pools, the ministry or agency concerned will discuss with them the necessary facilities and supervision, to make it possible to designate locations not in the vicinity of owners' homes as storage space for motor homes.

Government decision (May 27, 1993)

Once the claimants develop a detailed concept for motor homes, the ministry or agency concerned will discuss with them the necessary facilities and supervision, making it possible to designate locations not in the vicinity of owners' homes as storage spaces for motor homes.