A streamlined registry policy for drones is set to be put in place by the Japanese government around 2022 which would be the path for the use of drones for more commercial purposes such as using them in residential deliveries.

Some of the sparsely populated areas in Japan are already seen the use of drones for purposes such as drug delivery or monitoring disaster sites. However, greater commercial use of the drones is yet to happen.

Unmanned aerial vehicles are not allowed to fly in heavily populated areas in Japan without them first obtaining a valid license for the same. But getting such permits is lengthy and cumbersome because it involves filling of multiple documents with a myriad of information such as the model of drone, the aim of taking permit, the dates when they are to be flown, the route and others.

Under the new registration system, all of the above paper work would be processed online and any permit that would be granted to fly drones in cities would be valid for a specific period of time. The name of the owner, the user, and the ID number assigned to the drone upon purchase would be the only information that an applicant would have to enter into the online system.

The Japanese government aims to pass the legislation by fiscal 2021.

If this registration process goes through, analysts believe that there would be much greater commercial use of drones for purposes such as online deliveries. It would also allow authorities to better and more easily trace such drones and their owners if accidents involving them happen.  The online system is also being planned in such a way that there would not be overcrowding of drones in a limited space.

There are number of countries such as the U.S., Canada, the U.K., France, Australia and China that already have a system for drone registration in place. According the US Federal Aviation Administration, about 300,000 drones are registered there every year and it is anticipated that the number would increase by three times by 2023.

A similar arrangement is being demanded by the Japanese business community. An experimental drone delivery service in July in a partnership between the supermarket chain Seiyu and e-commerce heavyweight Rakuten, was launched which was used to deliver packages to some of the remote islands of the country. In a similar manner, parcels are desired to be delivered by Japan Post Holdings to those areas of the country that are sparsely populated.

“Registration may take some time, but it is will ensure the safety of populated areas and it is necessary for the advancement of industry,” said a manager at airline group ANA Holdings.

Safety standards for drones would also be ensured through a set of rules by the Japanese government. For example, a vehicle must be able to descend without incident even during inclement weather. The government would also certify the operators of drones.

(Adapted from Asia.Nikkei.com)

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