Refer to The Kobe Shimbun news
On November 26,2010, Shintetsu decided to judge whether Shintetsu Ao Line(Suzurandai〜Ao 29.2km),which forces the company to compensate deficit, remains or not by March,2011. Deficit in this year is predicted to exceed a billion yen(about 11,892,020 USD), which has been continued for 10 years. In addition, financial assistance from the government will be suspended by March,2011.It made the company urged to make a decision about the future of Shintetsu Ao Line.
The company founded "Committee of activating Ao Line" with Kobe city, Miki city ,and Ono city in 2009 on purpose of promoting the use of Ao Line. But, the Line won't be able to avoid being abolished unless drastic strategies come out.
The number of passengers on the Line was increased to be 14.2 million in 1992. But, Since then,it has been decreasing to be 6.7 million in this year.The reasons are said to be motorization and the decrease of commuters followed by declining fertility and aging society.
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The committee adopted "Cooperation plan of local public transportations"(2010〜2012).Owing to it,financial assistance from the government was admitted to be applied to Shintetsu by 0.2 billion yen included in expenses of 0.4 billion yen.
But,in JIGYOU SHIWAKE*1 conducted in June, the ministry said that the governmental assistance for local public transportations should be lowered in minimum.The ministry decided to suspend the financial assistance for the Line by 2011 under the excuse "rail transport is not the last transportation,while bus transport is so."
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※These articles are quoted from Kobe Shimbun
In Europe or even in S.Korea, it is common for the government to compensate the deficit of public transportation. But, Japanese government looks down on the public transport,while she likes to concentrate on assisting general contractors by ordering to construct waste facilities.
I wonder if the government takes it into consideration that some people don't have a car or can't drive a car.
In addition to it,the government ignores the fact that bus transport converted from rail transport tends to be involved in traffic jam and cannot be punctual.As a result, the reduction of passengers keeps on.
*1:The conference reviewing the public business in order to decrease the budget.
