Society | Apr 01

Minister: Public transport won't stop in emergency

Apr 01 (NHK) - Japanese transport minister Akaba Kazuyoshi says public transport will continue to operate even if a state of emergency is declared to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

Akaba said on Tuesday that railways, buses and other public transport must be kept functioning as they make up the key infrastructure that supports people's lives and economic activities.

But he added that such services could be scaled back if operational personnel were to get infected by the virus.

Akaba said that in such a case, his ministry will work with the operators to minimize the impact on users.

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