The Japanese government is to set up a council of developers and ministry officials that will set the rules of the road - or, more accurately, the rules of the sky - for flying cars.

The council will be convened before the end of the year and will design regulations and standards for a new generation of vehicles, and has been set the target of the Tokyo Olympics Games in 2020 as a showcase for the technology and to have flying cars operational by 2023.

Announcing the public-private initiative on Monday, Yoshihide Suga, the chief cabinet secretary, said the government would “urge new players to join” the field, Kyodo News reported.

He added that the government envisages flying cars initially being used in mountainous areas of Japan and in enabling people to travel to remote islands off the coast, while the cars will also be expected to play an important role in rescue and recovery efforts in the event of a natural disaster.

They are also expected to help reduce congestion on Japan’s roads.