TOKYO, Feb 03 (News On Japan) –
A Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) survey has revealed that half of the 140 regional railway operators are experiencing a scarcity of practice drivers, resulting in an emergency assembly convened by 172 operators, together with main corporations, on Friday, February 2.
Kishitani Katsumi, the MLIT Technical Counselor, expressed concern: “In rural areas, we’re increasingly observing situations where it’s impossible to organize timetables due to the lack of drivers.”
In October final 12 months, the MLIT carried out a survey amongst 172 railway operators nationwide, together with main corporations, to evaluate the excess or deficit of practice drivers.
The outcomes confirmed that out of 140 regional railway operators, half, or 70 operators, reported a “shortage,” whereas 43 operators had a “surplus.” Furthermore, among the many 32 operators together with JR and different main corporations, 7 reported experiencing shortages.
To tackle the scarcity of practice drivers, the MLIT is contemplating reducing the age for acquiring the nationwide railway driver’s license from April onwards to 18 years outdated. This transfer is a part of broader efforts to alleviate the present disaster and make sure the easy operation of regional rail companies throughout the nation.
Source: ANN