KYOTO—Kyoto announced a dual-pricing system for its public buses—the first in Japan to counter overtourism–that will require visitors to pay nearly double the fare charged to residents.
Mayor Koji Matsui unveiled the plan to the city assembly on Feb. 25, aiming to address years of simmering public anger over a transport system swamped by visitors.
The new fares are expected to take effect in fiscal 2027.
The announcement of the “resident-priority pricing” system follows a campaign promise from Matsui, who framed the policy as a way for “residents to also feel the benefits of tourism.”
It addresses a rising tide of complaints from locals about severe overcrowding, such as, “We can’t get on the bus.”
Under the proposal, the current 230-yen ($1.50) flat fare for buses in the city center would be raised to between 350 yen and 400 yen for non-residents, while residents would pay a reduced rate of 200 yen.
Priority pricing will also be introduced in the city’s “adjusted-fare zones,” where prices vary by distance, although specific fares are still under consideration.
A key hurdle for the bus pricing policy was the Road Transport Law, which prohibits “unjust discriminatory treatment” of passengers.
The city has been consulting with the transport ministry on the matter since Matsui’s election in February 2024 and believes the proposal clears this legal requirement.
City authorities concede, however, that the new fares are unlikely to alleviate congestion.
The primary goal, they said, is to appease frustrated residents by having tourists bear a greater share of the financial burden.
To tackle the congestion itself, the city plans to run special express buses for tourists and promote the use of the subway system.
To distinguish between residents and tourists, the city is considering a system that links data from the national My Number identification card to transportation IC cards.
The transport ministry conducted a demonstration of a similar system on Feb. 17.
AloJapan.com