Bus driver refuses ride to passenger in wheelchair

Written with extracts from Kyodo via The Mainichi

February 26th 2019

CHIBA — A bus driver in Chiba Prefecture refused a ride to a passenger in a wheelchair because he was worried about being late, its operator Matsudo Shin-Keisei Bus said on Tuesday 26th February.

The driver told the passenger he had only 30 seconds to ready the bus — equipped with a wheelchair ramp and strap — before its scheduled departure, leaving the passenger to wait for the next one, the company said.

The driver told the company he regrets “making the wrong decision,” according to a Matsudo Shin-Keisei Bus official.

The story came to light after the passenger told the driver of the bus he later boarded, last Friday morning in Matsudo, northeast of Tokyo.

Matsudo Shin-Keisei said all its buses are equipped to transport passengers in wheelchairs, adding that it will ensure all drivers understand that the need to serve passengers appropriately comes before operating a bus on time.