February 28, 2002 - Honda Motor Co., Ltd. has announced it will start operation of the Intelligent Community Vehicle System (ICVS), a new community transport network system, in the Republic of Singapore on March 1, 2002.
ICVS car ports (designated exclusive parking lots) will be established in three locations (Wisma Atria, Millenia Walk and Market Street) in the Central Business District (CBD) in Singapore, and 15 Civic Hybrid cars allocated to these ports will be used and shared both within and outside the CBD by about 50 members.
The ICVS project in Singapore will offer three types of service plans to its members.
- 1)Daytime: for driving inside and outside the CBD
- 2)Overnight: for commuting between a member's home and an office within the CBD
- 3)Weekend and Public Holiday: for personal use after driving home from a port
Initially, only the daytime plan will be made available during the first three months and the first 30 minutes of use will be free of charge during this period. Starting from the fourth month, service will be expanded to include all three service plans mentioned above.
Main characteristics of the system:
- 1)Members can pick up and return cars using an exclusive member's smart card.
- 2)It is possible to pick up or return a car at any of the ports.
- 3)Members can go to any of the ports to pick up a car without making an advanced reservation.
- 4)It is possible to check the current status of vehicle availability and to make a reservation for vehicle use by using a mobile phone or the Internet.
- 5)Allocation of the vehicles is controlled to match demand and minimize the waiting time of users.
The ICVS project will include the participation of several local organizations in partnership with Honda; National Computer Systems Pte. Ltd., in the area of systems development; CityCab Pte. Ltd., in the area of system operation; and Kah Motor Co. Sdn. Bhd., in the area of vehicle maintenance.
Singapore is considered to be a practical location for introduction of the ICVS, since the country has limited space, and the high cost of owning a vehicle in the country creates an environment suitable for sharing vehicles. Another factor that makes Singapore attractive is the understanding and support of the local government. The Singaporean government is aiming to nurture a society focused on advanced technologies, and the ICVS system requires highly advanced control technologies. A gradual increase in the number of fleet vehicles, carports and members is planned, with the aim of acquiring a clearer grasp of the system's commercial feasibility.