The Transportation Accessibility Improvement Law became effective in November 2000 and its provision for penalties offers momentum for introducing barrier-free facilities in public transport systems. Access to public transport in Japan up until the Law was enacted had taken a lot of twists and turns in the course of its history but could be described as somewhat lagging behind that seen in advanced Western nations. However, it is reasonable to say that the introduction of this type of legislation has brought Japan rapidly in line with the rest of the world. This could also be viewed as appropriate because of the need for Japan to adopt an approach on a global scale given the fact that the ratio of elderly citizens in its population is one of the fastest growing in the world. However, in the rapid introduction of regulation, many aspects of compliance are still inadequate.
This report includes an overview of legislation concerning vehicle accessibility under the Transportation Accessibility Improvement Law, an outline of new vehicle model design guidance that were mandated at that time, the history of vehicle development so far and the outlook for the future. The report will point out issues to be addressed and forecast direction for the future.