On June 25, the Metropolitan Expressway Company held a press conference featuring Yoshiyuki Aoki, who had recently been appointed as its new President and CEO.
Mr. Aoki is a native of Yamaguchi Prefecture. He graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Tokyo in 1986 and joined the Ministry of Construction (later the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) that same year. He subsequently held various positions, including Director-General of the Urban Development Bureau, Director-General of the Land and Construction Industry Bureau, and Director-General of the Real Estate and Construction Economy Bureau at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, as well as Director-General of the Secretariat for the Promotion of Regional Revitalization at the Cabinet Office.
At the press conference, Mr. Aoki stated that the company’s mission is to provide high-quality services through the Metropolitan Expressway—the lifeline of the Tokyo metropolitan area—and to support daily life and socioeconomic activities. He explained that the company will steadily advance renewal, maintenance, and repair projects to ensure the long-term safety of its infrastructure, as well as network improvements aimed at a decarbonized society, congestion mitigation measures, and the Nihonbashi Section Undergrounding Project in coordination with surrounding urban development, and the transition to ETC-only lanes.
The company also reiterated that, given the current situation—including rising labor and material costs—it will raise fees to ensure the continued safety and peace of mind of its users, and that it will move forward with preparations while seeking the understanding of its users.
Finally, he referred to the company’s corporate purpose—“Connecting people, communities, and daily life to the future through safe and secure roads”—and expressed his determination to move forward as one, keeping this purpose close to his heart.
© Source travel watch