Foreign Bus Drivers Deployed on Local Routes for First Time

TOKYO, Dec 25 (News On Japan) - Foreign nationals have been appointed as drivers on local bus routes for the first time nationwide, using Japan’s Specified Skilled Worker program, in a move aimed at easing chronic labor shortages in the sector.

The familiar onboard announcement asking passengers to fasten their seat belts is now being delivered by a foreign driver behind the wheel of a local route bus. The driver made his debut on the 23rd, marking the first time in Japan that the program has been applied to route bus operations.

Tokyo Bus began operating local bus services driven by foreign nationals on December 23rd in Tokyo and Okinawa, becoming the first company in the country to do so.

Tokyo Bus driver Anacrito Japeto Juarez said he felt nervous carrying passengers for the first time.

Tokyo Bus President Harunari Nishimura said the company is facing a serious shortage of personnel, adding that even raising wages for drivers has failed to attract enough applicants, reflecting the structural difficulties facing the industry.

The Specified Skilled Worker program allows Japan to accept foreign nationals recognized as having specialized skills in industries suffering from acute labor shortages. As driver shortages have led to repeated reductions in local bus services, the automobile transport industry was added to the program’s scope in 2024.

In Tokyo, five foreign drivers from the Philippines have been hired. After undergoing long-term training, they obtained Specified Skilled Worker Type 1 status and officially began driving on December 23rd.

Juarez said he was happy to finally be able to drive in real service, adding that he was glad to transport passengers safely to their destinations. He said that until he becomes a fully fledged driver, his sole focus every day will be safe driving.

Newly deployed foreign drivers are initially supported by Japanese drivers but are expected to operate independently after several months.

Nishimura said the company hopes to expand the initiative to help resolve driver shortages, gain public understanding, and ensure that passengers feel comfortable and safe riding buses driven by foreign nationals as quickly as possible.

Source: FNN

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