The historic city of Kyoto has officially announced a groundbreaking dual-pricing system for its public bus network to combat the ongoing issue of overtourism.
This new initiative marks the very first time a municipality in Japan has implemented such a fare structure for public transportation.
Kyoto is globally renowned for its breathtaking ancient temples, traditional shrines, and beautifully preserved historical districts.
However, the massive influx of international and domestic travelers has placed immense strain on the local infrastructure in recent years.
Mayor Koji Matsui formally unveiled the ambitious plan to the city assembly on February 25.
The primary objective is to address years of simmering public frustration regarding a transit system completely overwhelmed by sightseers.
Locals have frequently voiced complaints about severe overcrowding, often finding themselves entirely unable to board buses during their daily commutes.
The new fare structure is currently expected to take effect during the 2027 fiscal year.
Matsui framed this “resident-priority pricing” system as a fulfillment of a major campaign promise, ensuring that locals can also feel the benefits of the booming travel industry.
Under the newly proposed guidelines, the current 230-yen flat fare for buses operating within the city center will see a significant adjustment.
Non-residents will be required to pay between 350 and 400 yen, while verified locals will enjoy a reduced rate of just 200 yen.
Priority pricing will also be expanded into the city’s adjusted-fare zones, where ticket prices vary depending on the distance traveled.
Specific rates for these variable zones are still under active consideration by the local government.
One major hurdle for this policy was the national Road Transport Law, which strictly prohibits unjust discriminatory treatment of paying passengers.
City officials have been consulting with the transport ministry since Matsui’s election in February 2024 to ensure the proposal clears all legal requirements.
Authorities concede that simply raising fares is unlikely to completely alleviate the physical congestion on the vehicles.
Instead, the main goal is to appease frustrated locals by having visitors bear a much greater share of the financial burden.
To directly tackle the overcrowding itself, the government plans to deploy special express routes specifically for sightseers and actively promote the use of the underground subway network.
Officials are considering a system that links data from the national My Number identification card to standard transportation IC cards to easily differentiate between locals and travelers.
The transport ministry recently conducted a successful demonstration of a similar verification system on February 17.
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AloJapan.com