Subway operator in Osaka decides on controversial fare reduction

Subway operator in the western Japanese city of Osaka decided on Tuesday to reduce fares for sections of up to three kilometers, city authorities said, but passengers traveling longer distances will have to pay more. The sudden announcement came on Tuesday, reversing previous reports about the negative views voiced by key Osaka City Municipal Transportation Bureau officials concerning the fare reduction. Under the new plan, travelers will pay, starting next April, 180 yen (about 1.8 U.S dollars) for an adult subway fare of up to three kilometers, 20 yen (about 0.2 U.S. dollars) cheaper than the current fare, the chief spokesperson for the bureau told Xinhua. But he noted the train operator will charge 10 yen more for passengers who travel on sections covering longer distances, which currently range from 230 yen for up to seven kilometers to 360 yen for over 19 kilometers. These hikes will come in conjunction with the planned increase in Japan's consumption tax. Local media, including one report by the daily Mainichi Shimbun, said the decision was apparently reflecting Mayor Toru Hashimoto's campaign promise to reduce the fare to achieve privatization for the subway system within a few years, adding that the subway operator may well increase the price again if his privatization plan is not approved at the local assembly. The reports also cited key transportation officials as criticizing the announced fare reduction as merely a political ploy, and said that controversial discussions on the privatization plan will continue.