July 28, 2017
Pushed by tenacious efforts by persons with mental disabilities, their families, and their supporters, a major private railway company in Kyushu expanded the scope of its discount offer to include mentally-disabled passengers. Persons concerned are pleased with the company’s measure.
Nishi Nippon Railway Company (NNR) provides train and bus services in the Kyushu region, southwestern Japan. The Fukuoka-based company in April started to offer a half-price fare for passengers with a certificate of mental disabilities.
No other major private railway company provides such a travel concession. Although all public transport providers have a discount price program for persons with physical disabilities, a majority of the companies do not apply the program to mentally-disabled people.
Most people with mental disabilities live on a small income and even transportation costs necessary to go to see a doctor are a heavy economic burden for them. Supporters’ groups for these people, such as the National Federation of Mental Health and Welfare Party in Japan, have long called for the introduction of a lower-price fare.
In Fukuoka Prefecture, the local body of the federation has worked hard to realize a reduced fare program for more than ten years. They repeatedly petitioned the prefectural assembly and conducted a signature-collection drive to achieve the goal, gathering 52,000 signatures in 2016 alone. In July last year, the group and NNR jointly carried out a survey to ask patients whether they would use NNR’s bus/train services more often if given a discount. The survey found that 90% of the respondents answered, “Yes”.
The federation’s Fukuoka branch head, Ichiki Takeshi, said that NNR’s introduction of a half price fare has had a ripple effect on other bus companies in the prefecture, prompting them to follow suit.
Nishi Nippon Railway Company (NNR) provides train and bus services in the Kyushu region, southwestern Japan. The Fukuoka-based company in April started to offer a half-price fare for passengers with a certificate of mental disabilities.
No other major private railway company provides such a travel concession. Although all public transport providers have a discount price program for persons with physical disabilities, a majority of the companies do not apply the program to mentally-disabled people.
Most people with mental disabilities live on a small income and even transportation costs necessary to go to see a doctor are a heavy economic burden for them. Supporters’ groups for these people, such as the National Federation of Mental Health and Welfare Party in Japan, have long called for the introduction of a lower-price fare.
In Fukuoka Prefecture, the local body of the federation has worked hard to realize a reduced fare program for more than ten years. They repeatedly petitioned the prefectural assembly and conducted a signature-collection drive to achieve the goal, gathering 52,000 signatures in 2016 alone. In July last year, the group and NNR jointly carried out a survey to ask patients whether they would use NNR’s bus/train services more often if given a discount. The survey found that 90% of the respondents answered, “Yes”.
The federation’s Fukuoka branch head, Ichiki Takeshi, said that NNR’s introduction of a half price fare has had a ripple effect on other bus companies in the prefecture, prompting them to follow suit.
