December 21, 2009 Chairman Yano's regular press conference

(Moderator)

Now that it's time, let's start the regular press conference. Well, then, I'm looking forward to working with you.

(Chairman)

Apparently Hi everyone. We will start the last press conference this year. There are several themes today as well, and I will give you an overview.

First is the overview of the business. Expressway the condition of expressways, toll revenue in November decreased by 24.7% from the same month of the previous year. As for the breakdown, highways decreased by 20.0% and Ichiyu decreased by 24.7%. The number of passengers is up 1.5% year-on-year. As for the breakdown, high speed increased by 0.7% and Ichiyu increased by 4.7%. Regarding the breakdown of the number of vehicles passing by, I would like to talk about the situation by vehicle type, which I talk about every month. Compared to last year, 104.9% are light vehicles, 101.0% are regular vehicles, 96.6% are medium-sized vehicles, 98.0% are large vehicles, and 98.7% are oversized vehicles, for a total of 100.7%. As you know, last year there was a Lehman shock in September, which had a big impact on the economy in October and November, and the traffic volume of heavy trucks decreased, so if you look at this percentage, the situation It is difficult to understand, so I would like to give you a comparison of 2007 and 2009, two years ago. Light vehicles account for 111.2%, ordinary vehicles 100.9%, medium-sized vehicles 87.8%, large vehicles 91.3%, and oversized vehicles 91.4%, for a total of 99.4%. After all, I think it can be said that the situation is still not good for medium-sized and larger ones. Looking at the mileage, light vehicles account for 111.8%, ordinary vehicles account for 109.8%, medium-sized vehicles 96.4%, large vehicles 96.6%, and oversized vehicles 97.9%, for a total of 105.9%. Compared to the year before last, 121.1% are light vehicles, 112.3% are ordinary vehicles, 86.8% are medium-sized vehicles, 87.9% are large vehicles, and 92.0% are oversized vehicles, for a total of 104.7%. I think that the fact that the trip length is getting longer and the influence of the rate policy are reflected here. Then, regarding the discount amount of ETC, it is 30,162 million yen, which is an increase of 65.1% compared to last year. As for the ETC discount rate, it is 44.9%, which is almost the same as the previous month. If there is no ETC discount, the toll revenue will be 67,169 million yen, which is not an actual figure, but it will increase by 3.7% when compared. The above is the situation of the Expressway

Next is the construction situation, which is the same as last month. In, later Kedomo I will explain, Ken-O Road between Ebina IC from Ebina JCT of became expected to be opened on February 27, 2010 (Saturday). I will explain later.
Next is the situation of ETC, but the usage rate in November is 85.3%. Looking at the most recent week, if you look at the period from December 4th to 10th and last month from November 6th to 12th, it can be said that it is almost flat. The cumulative number of on-board units installed is 29.04 million. This is an increase of 1.3% compared to the end of October.

Next, regarding the service area, sales increased by 107.8%. The food and beverage department is 102.0%, the product sales department is 105.5%, and the total is 104.2%. The service department is 100%, and the GS department is 123.6%. The difference in gasoline unit prices has narrowed, and in November it was a difference of 13 yen. This year was 127 yen and last year was 140 yen, and the difference has narrowed and the quantity has increased considerably, so the sales amounted to 123.6%. The advertising department is 114.3%. The above is the current status of the business in November.

The following are topics, but I would like to talk about what I said earlier about the opening of Ken-O Road for the first time in Kanagawa Prefecture. This will be announced today. The distance between Ebina JCT and Ebina IC is 1.9km, but it will open at 15:00 on Saturday, February 27, about a month earlier than planned. In line with this, in parallel with Tomei Expwy, a dedicated access road 1.1km will be opened from Atsugi IC to Ebina JCT. The total length of both is 3km. This dedicated access route is designed to improve traffic flow, reduce traffic congestion, and improve safety. With the opening of this time, we expect that the traffic that was previously concentrated on the Atsugi IC will be dispersed to the Ebina IC. We believe that this will alleviate the congestion around the Atsugi IC. Access from Ebina City to Tomei will be improved, which will save a lot of time. It is predicted that what used to take 40 minutes around Atsugi from Ebina City Hall will be shortened by 10 minutes and 30 minutes. This opening section is a part of Ken-O Road that connects Tomei and Chuo Expressway, and we would like to make efforts for the progress of the business for the remaining section for early service.

Next is traffic congestion forecasting and countermeasures for the year-end and New Year holidays. This was announced on December 4th, but the time is approaching, so I thought it was a good opportunity today and prepared the materials. As you know, the special holiday discount is not applied on the 26th and 27th of the year, but instead it is applied from the 1st to the 5th of January. As you can see in the graph, the traffic conditions are Out-bound line on December 29th and 30th, and on January 2nd and 3rd after the new year. In-bound line to be concentrated on January 2nd and 3rd. We are making various efforts as a measure against congestion and winter. I would like to consider various things such as arranging organizers in the rest facility, securing a large parking lot, installing a special toilet, and taking measures against the cold of the toilet. Please refer to the attached materials such as the Tomei New Year traffic jam reduction corps campaign and various materials, which are only for our company, the central Japanese version and the national version of traffic jams and countermeasures. We would be grateful if all the drivers who use the Expressway could make a planned travel plan and cooperate with us.

Fourth is the report of the CSR Advisory Panel. As you can see in the material, this was held on December 16th, and I gave an overview to the reporters after the meeting, but I would like to introduce it as it is a good opportunity. We are showing the members of the committee the habitat of animals and plants near Hachioji JCT, and the site of repairing the floor slab at Chofu IC. The committee members are as described. Some very enthusiastic opinions have been given by the committee members and are described on page 4 and after, but I think we should create an opportunity for the general public and children to see as much as possible, and next year at COP10 in Nagoya. There is, so please do your best toward it. Expressway has an example. Since then, interest in the landscape has increased significantly, but is Expressway sufficient consideration for the roadside? For example, culvert boxes with sound barriers and graffiti are not educational and dirty for children. It's a good idea to clean the road so that your child will love it. Also, regarding our 100-year-old road, we value the existing road, so please do your best. I'm worried that if left unchecked, it could lead to the devastated America of the 1980s. So I was encouraged to do my best. The SA / PA has been cleaned up, and efforts for private cars are progressing considerably, but why not proceed with initiatives that are comfortable and easy for truck drivers to take a break? Also, regarding the collapse of the Tomei Expressway in Makinohara, I think it was very good to have a quick recovery with respect for safety. I wonder if the toilet has been improved in the future as it is called a rest room in English. Then I started KSN (clean, clean, no smell) recently, but the cleaning staff is as proud as the cast of Disneyland, cleaning it and making it possible to serve customers. We are currently working on this, but there was a talk that we would like you to do it energetically. Also, please refer to the attached photo that I actually went to see. The local saplings on the slope planted in 2000 have grown considerably dense after nine years. If you have a chance, I would like everyone to see it.

"Premium Drivers' that the discount selling gasoline in the card", which is also there in the news of the announcement today.
Although gasoline station of the Company's 50 several places are located in the SA · PA, direct management GS of them subsidiaries of Ekushisu, this is you have seven locations, where premium Drivers' idea that it is available for the cards and try to discount 3 yen per maximum 1 liter So I want to start this from the 24th.
If you pay by credit card, you will get a 3 yen discount. If you show this credit card and pay by cash, you will get a 2 yen discount per liter. If you pay by credit card, you will get a 3 yen discount. It means that we will also add points.
Then the fact that the discount of the cash discount amount for those who are join on the spot the day, the following pages premium Drivers' overview of the card - you have become subscribers finally more than 20 million people - Please have a look.

Next is the sixth, "Snowland Gifu Highway Campaign 2010". This was announced on November 26th, but this is the 10th time this year to tie up with the Gifu Prefecture Ski Resort Liaison Council so that as many people as possible can enjoy skiing and snowboarding. Will be. Expressway provide various services such as free lift ticket discount tickets for ski resorts in Gifu prefecture and pamphlets with special treatment tickets for SA / PA on highways SA / PA, and cooperate with the local community for winter sports. I would like to make it popular.
This has already begun, but will be implemented from December 1st to March 31st.

Then, next, "SA / PA Menu Contest Result Report" We announced that we will hold a menu contest at this time in September, but we will have one menu each at 45 restaurants under our jurisdiction, and the final selection Was performed on December 18th and the results were obtained.
The theme of this time is "Recommended gems that make the best use of carefully selected (discerning) materials", "Food safety and security", and "Local production for local consumption". There are pictures on the next page, but the highest award is Dangozaka. SA of In-bound, the special Jury Prize of Ebina SA In-bound, Taga SA of Out-bound, of Ariisoumi SA Out-bound the fact that, we wanted to try I also visited once because it is quite delicious.

Lastly, I would like to talk about the environmental topics that I will explain each time. Today, I would like to talk about the status of our efforts to "cultivate endangered regional seedlings."
As I mentioned earlier in the CSR Roundtable, I am trying to grow regional saplings on the road using cuts and various other places, but I thought I would do Expressway It's the beginning.
In November, we collected the fruits of trees in Moriyama and Chikusa in Nagoya City, and selected and analyzed the seeds at the Greening Technology Center in Ritto, Shiga. About 50,000 seeds were selected from about 6 kilograms of fruits of about 20 kinds of trees.
Among them were trees called "Endangered 1A Callery Pear" and "Endangered II Viburnum" in "Let Data Book Aichi 2009".
COP10 will be held in Nagoya next October. As part of this partnership project, we plan to plant in Nagoya City, and currently we are planning to plant about 1000 regional seedlings.
It will be a big international conference to be held locally in the future, and I think it will be a very significant conference in terms of environmental protection, so we would like to fully support COP10. ..

 

(Moderator)

So I'd like to take your questions.

(Reporter)

Drivers' card, but is the matter of, this is Expressway, but I think that each company is performing card business, whether or not such a discount has also started in other companies at present.
Also, in an article in the Asahi Shimbun the other day, Expressway are quite wide, but as a future policy, for example, if there is such a section, do you think that you will do it directly? please.

(Chairman)

We believe this is the first time we have started.
Then, regarding the issue of the location of the gas station, I would like to proceed considering the benefits of the driver. Fortunately, there are many places in our jurisdiction where there is a lot of traffic, so I think that the ratio needs are high, but since it is still a company, I think that we will think about what to do in consideration of profitability. ..
The basic stance is to avoid inconvenience to customers as much as possible.

(Reporter)

Please tell us about this year's summary and next year's business goals.

(Chairman)

Looking back on this year, there were various things. I think it was the biggest change in the business environment since privatization. The political, economic, and social conditions have changed drastically, and we have a strong sense that we have gone through such a situation.
What I have consistently said within the company is that I will continue to say that I will become a company that is truly trusted by society at such times, and although it is Miso in the foreground, let's work for each person based on the company's management philosophy. I have been appealing that.
It is unclear what the economic situation will be next year, so I don't think we can conclude that this is the case, but if it is possible to change that, we should take a step or two ahead of the management. I think that I want to do it. And I would like to prepare as much as possible and survive in that way.

(Reporter)

I think we are considering the budget for next year, but the budget used for social experiments related to high-speed free of charge is expected to be smaller than originally expected, and the experiment itself will be quite limited. I would like to ask you about your impressions for next year.

(Chairman)

As I have said before, I think that I will be presented with a concrete plan, so I think that I will deal with it based on that.
I don't think we will be able to express our opinions at this stage until it is completed, so with that in mind, we will respond firmly to whatever situation arises as a private company for the past four years. Since the business performance of is backed up, I think that we will deal with it based on that.
Since the government's policy is to proceed with social experiments step by step, I have the impression that it is trying to follow a realistic route, so in that sense I think it will be in the future. We are doing it.

(Moderator)

Today, we will end the regular press conference with this. Thank you very much.