Insufficient barrier-free measures on the Shinkansen. Minister of Foreign Affairs calls for improvement at 16:10 on January 16.
While reviewing barrier-free measures for the Shinkansen, the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Akabane inspected a new vehicle on the Tokaido Shinkansen and called on JR companies to consider further improvements as insufficient.
The Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Akabane inspected the new Tokaido Shinkansen train "N700S" which JR Tokai will introduce in July, and took a ride from Shin-Yokohama Station to Tokyo Station with a wheelchair user.
In this new model, two spaces for each train are installed, and the width of the passage beside the space is 45 cm, which is designed more for wheelchair users than conventional vehicles. .
Minister Akabane checked the inside of the car and heard from the users that there was "small space for wheelchairs" or "the size of toilets and multipurpose rooms is insufficient".
Regarding barrier-free measures for the Shinkansen, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has set up a study group of JR companies and organizations of persons with disabilities and is reviewing the measures.
After the inspection, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Akabane commented, "It is an honest impression that there is still no improvement. It is the mission and responsibility of the railway operator to be able to ride the disabled comfortably without discrimination. We want you to consider measures fundamentally. "