TAIPEI (TVBS News)—Kyoto Mayor Kōji Matsui (京都市長松井孝治) visited Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (日本國土交通省) on Tuesday (June 25) to submit a petition to adjust public transport fares. Matsui advocates higher rates for tourists than for local residents. His initiative is designed to ease traffic congestion in Kyoto and maximize the benefits of tourism for local residents. He suggested a city bus and subway pricing system that differentiates tourists from local citizens.
"The daily lives of regular taxpayers are disrupted because they can't access city buses, leading to widespread public dissatisfaction," Matsui explained. "While there are legal hurdles to implementing citizen-priority pricing, we aim to make gradual progress under state guidance." Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito (國土交通大臣齊藤鐵夫) expressed understanding of the challenges faced by Kyoto and committed to reviewing the proposal, as reported by NHK (日本放送協會).
The yen's decline has spurred a tourism boom in Japan, exacerbating overcrowding and disrupting public transport, thereby affecting the quality of life for Kyoto's residents. Last year, the city began advising passengers in multiple languages to avoid bringing large luggage on buses. As the city grapples with maintaining resident quality of life while promoting tourism, Matsui's proposal represents an effort to find a middle ground.