After a bus accident that killed 15 people in Karuizawa Town, Nagano Prefecture, more than half of the private organizations that patrol and instruct bus companies set up in various places deteriorated due to the influence of the new coronavirus and reduced the number of instructors. I found out.
Experts point out that "if we cannot secure instructors, we will have to reduce patrol guidance and we may not be able to prevent serious accidents."
Five years ago, on January 15, 2016, in a bus accident that killed 15 people, including university students, in Karuizawa Town, Nagano Prefecture, many violations of laws and regulations were found at the bus company that caused the accident.
In response to this, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has set up "chartered bus optimization centers" at 10 locations nationwide, and will provide patrol guidance once a year to all companies that are engaged in the chartered bus business by next year. We have been securing instructors with the goal of doing so.
However, due to the influence of the new coronavirus, it was found that six of them have been reduced by dismissing instructors or have not hired new ones.
The Optimization Center, which has jurisdiction over the six prefectures of Tohoku, has reduced three out of seven instructors this year and has forgotten new hires.
The optimization centers in each region are operated at the expense of the bus company, but as a result of the deterioration of the management of many bus companies due to the influence of the new corona, it is not possible to secure financial resources and it is necessary to reduce labor costs etc. Has been done.
Professor Hirokazu Kato of Nagoya University Graduate School, who is familiar with bus safety measures, said, "If we cannot secure instructors, we will have to reduce patrol guidance, and there is a risk that we will not be able to prevent serious accidents. To maintain the center, I think we will also need financial support from the government. "