Kawasaki City Bus “Refuses Boarding” Of Disabled Person, Not Allowing Use of Disability Certificate App

Extract from The Mainichi Shimbun

August 28 2024

TOKYO – In August, a physically disabled man (53) was denied boarding a Kawasaki City bus because he was refused use of the disability certificate app on his smartphone. The city has approved the use of the app, and the man claims he was “unfairly refused boarding.” The city apologized to the man, saying “the driver was not aware of the problem.” While the use of information and communication technology (ICT) is progressing, the situation shows that operators are lagging behind in their understanding.

The man lives in Akiruno City, Tokyo, and is undergoing dialysis for chronic kidney failure. He has an “internal disability” that cannot be seen from the outside, and holds a disability certificate (1st class). In order to smoothly apply for disability discounts, he goes out with the app “Mirairo ID,” which can be linked to his My Number card and is recognized as a substitute for the certificate, on his smartphone.