In order to rebuild local public transportation such as local railways in difficult business conditions, a council of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has established a "consultation fare" that allows railway operators to set fares simply by submitting a notification if they obtain an agreement with the local government or residents. We have compiled a draft of new mechanisms and financial support measures, such as the introduction of a system.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is considering the reconstruction of public transportation at the council, saying that local railways and buses are in a critical management situation due to the declining population and the corona disaster, and an interim report was released on the 17th. The draft has been compiled.



Among these, if railway operators obtain an agreement with local governments and residents along their railway lines, they can set fares simply by submitting notifications without obtaining government approval, and a system of agreements between local governments and local bus operators. When operating a specific area collectively, the introduction of a system to subsidize the cost of the national government is included.



The aim is to make it easier to reflect the actual conditions of each region by enabling flexible fare settings and measures for the entire area.



In addition, regarding local railways, where the number of users has decreased significantly, the government should take the initiative in setting up councils if requested by local governments and businesses, and review public transportation such as railways, which continue to be in the red. It also includes making projects eligible for subsidies.



The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism hopes to revitalize discussions and movements regarding the reconstruction of public transportation with the participation of local governments and residents. .

Experts ``An opportunity to think about public transportation, which is widening between big cities and rural areas''

Ayako Taniguchi, a professor at the University of Tsukuba who is familiar with public transportation policy, said, ``Public transportation peaked around 1970. At that time, people could get on without doing anything, but with the spread of automobiles, the number of users continued to decrease, and the number of people using public transportation continued to decline. There is a widening disparity between regions.Society will not change immediately just by changing the law, but this draft will serve as an opportunity and a start for those concerned to think about what to do with public transportation in the future. should,” he points out.



On top of that, "Local governments, business operators, users, people who do not use it, and people in various positions are involved in discussions on public transportation, and the national government, prefectures, and municipalities need to think about what their respective roles are and play them. There are many local governments that do not know which direction to go, but it is also important to have goals that suit each region, such as whether public transportation is enough or not because we are going to be a car society.