関越道バス事故 ずさんな運行実態を見逃すな

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Jun. 12, 2012)
Sloppy operations of tour buses must not be overlooked
関越道バス事故　ずさんな運行実態を見逃すな（6月10日付・読売社説）

Accidents involving tour buses using expressways should be prevented by all means.
　高速ツアーバスの事故の再発を防がねばならない。

The Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry has started studies toward reinforcing regulations on bus companies. This is an appropriate action.
　国土交通省が、バス会社の規制強化に向けた検討に着手したのは、妥当と言えよう。

More than one month has passed since the Kanetsu Expressway accident in which seven passengers died. We are appalled by the bus company's careless management of bus operations.
　関越自動車道で乗客７人が死亡した事故から１か月以上経過した。バス会社のお粗末な運行管理にはあきれるほかない。

The ministry will rescind the bus company's business license and suspend the business of the travel agency that planned the bus tour. These punishments are only natural.
　国交省は、バス会社の事業許可を取り消し、ツアーを企画した旅行会社に業務停止の処分を下す方針だ。当然の措置である。

The direct cause of the accident was the bus driver falling asleep at the wheel, but the companies' awareness that they held people's lives in their hands was lacking.
　直接的な原因は運転手の居眠りだったが、会社側はツアー参加者の人命を預かるという自覚を欠いていたのではないか。

The ministry also has a grave responsibility for its delayed response. Both the public and private sectors must work together to implement thorough safety measures.
　対応が後手に回った国交省の責任も重い。官民が連携して安全対策を徹底しなければならない。

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Too many violations

The driver who caused the accident was hired on a daily basis, which is prohibited by law. The company did not perform health checks on the driver, as required by the ministry's rules, before he was allowed to drive a bus, or give him written instructions including bus operation routes. Operations on the day of the accident were left in the hands of the driver, who had little experience in long-distance driving.
　事故を起こした運転手は、禁止された日雇い勤務で、乗務前に義務付けられた健康チェックを怠っていた。バス会社は、ルートなどを定めた指示書を作成せず、事故当日の運行は、長距離業務の経験が浅い運転手任せだった。

The bus company has committed 28 law violations but did not fix the problems involved in past violations. Also, the national administration neglected follow-up checks.
　法令違反は２８項目に及んだ。過去の違反も改善されておらず、行政は事後チェックを怠った。

The most important problem is that this is hardly an exceptional case.
　問題なのは、これが特異なケースとは言い切れないことだ。

Due to deregulation of the requirements for entry into the business in 2000, the number of tour bus companies has sharply increased to about 4,500. The competition to win orders from travel agencies has intensified, making excessive workloads a normal situation for drivers.
　２０００年の参入規制緩和によって、ツアーバス会社は約４５００社まで急増した。受注競争は激化し、過労運転が常態化している。

According to a survey by the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry, about 90 percent of chartered bus drivers have fallen asleep or felt drowsy while working.
総務省の調査では、運転手の９割が運転中に居眠りや睡魔の経験があると答えている。

According to transport ministry standards, the upper limit for one driver to drive a bus in a single day is 670 kilometers.
　国交省の基準では、１人の運転手が１日に運転できる距離の上限は６７０キロ・メートルだ。

Since the accident, the tour bus industry has independently formulated guidelines, including assigning an alternative driver if a bus is operated for 450 kilometers or more at night. This was a step foward in the right direction, but the guidelines are not legally binding.
　ツアーバス業界は事故後、夜間に４５０キロ・メートル以上走る場合は交代運転手を用意するなどの独自指針を策定した。一歩前進と言えるが、指針には拘束力がない。

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Responsibility of travel firms

Many travel agencies that plan bus tours leave safety measures completely to the bus companies. This is also a problem.
　ツアーを手がける旅行会社の多くが、安全対策をバス会社に任せ切りにしている点も問題だ。

The transport ministry decided last week to formulate guidelines to require travel agencies dealing with bus tours using expressways to disclose safety information. The ministry will oblige the companies to clarify the number of alternative drivers in tour advertisements, for instance. We would like the ministry to enforce the guidelines immediately after they are formulated.
　国交省は先週、高速バスツアーを扱う旅行会社に安全情報の開示を求めるガイドラインを策定することを決めた。ツアーの募集広告などに交代運転手の人数などを表示するよう義務付ける方針だ。速やかに運用してもらいたい。

The ministry plans to make travel agencies get permission for bus operations by next summer. The travel agencies will have heavier responsibility in terms of bus operation, which will help improve the situation.
　来夏までに、旅行会社にバスの運行許可を取得させることにしている。旅行会社の運行責任が重くなる。これも有益だろう。

The Kanetsu Expressway accident was so serious partly because there was a space between the noise-blocking wall on the side of the road and the guardrail, and the wall pierced the bus' body when it hit the wall. Such spaces exist at 5,100 locations throughout the country. It is an urgent task to rectify this.
　事故の被害が甚大だったのは、道路脇の防音壁とガードレールの間に隙間があり、衝突時に壁が車体にめり込んだことが一因だ。こうした隙間は全国５１００か所に上る。改修工事が急務である。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 10, 2012)
（2012年6月10日01時18分 読売新聞）