Alexandru Arba
Research expert covering Japan
Accessible transportation in Japan - statistics & facts
Barrier-free transportation is essential to come closer to a fair society that provides everyone with equal access to mobility. It benefits various individuals, including people with physical impairments, but also the elderly, pregnant women, and parents with young children. Making public infrastructure accessible to all has been on the agenda of the Japanese government, which has presented clear directives, requesting the industry to cooperate, to approach this goal. The transportation industry, and the companies involved in it, is one of the most important segments that need to undergo a change to achieve a barrier-free society.
Barrier-free transformation of transport vehicles and facilities is expensive, raising the issue of who should cover the costs. The government has agreed to subsidize the expenses partially, but the brunt of the expenditure has to be covered by transportation companies. Exacerbated by the lack of income triggered by the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, a barrier-free surcharge system was introduced by the end of 2021 to assist railroad transport providers in the transformation process. Hence, large parts of the costs were passed on to consumers.
Barrier-free transformation of transport vehicles and facilities is expensive, raising the issue of who should cover the costs. The government has agreed to subsidize the expenses partially, but the brunt of the expenditure has to be covered by transportation companies. Exacerbated by the lack of income triggered by the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, a barrier-free surcharge system was introduced by the end of 2021 to assist railroad transport providers in the transformation process. Hence, large parts of the costs were passed on to consumers.
