April 4, 2026

The Japanese Communist Party Tokyo Metropolitan Assemblymembers’ Group on April 2 held a meeting with a National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren)-affiliated bus drivers’ union and the delegation of a South Korean bus drivers’ union, exchanging their views on how to improve local public transportation systems.

The South Korean union at Gyonggi Expressway Co., Ltd, one of the nation’s major bus companies, organizes 2,000 bus drivers. Its delegation led by union president Kim Seguen is visiting Japan to survey bus systems and activities of bus drivers’ unions in Japan.

In the meeting, the JCP assemblymembers’ group explained its proposal for enhancing local public transit systems, which was published in January 2025. In the proposal, the JCP appealed for the need to implement measures including offering higher wages and better treatment to bus drivers, as well as improving the Tokyo Metropolitan Senior Transit Pass program. The JCP lawmakers said that in the proposal, they mentioned that in South Korea, Seoul Special Metropolitan City and other municipalities provide financial support to bus service operators with the aim of improving local transportation services.

Kim said that despite receiving deficit subsidies from local governments and financial aid per vehicle from the central government, bus companies have difficulty earning revenues, which causes some regions to experience cuts in bus services.