＜prologue＞
I started a blog called “The Baby Boomer Generation’s Miscellaneous Blog”（Dankai-sedai no garakutatyou:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳） in July 2018, about a year before I fully retired. More than six years have passed since then, and the number of articles has increased considerably.
So, in order to make them accessible to people who don’t understand Japanese, I decided to translate my past articles into English and publish them.
It may sound a bit exaggerated, but I would like to make this my life’s work.
It should be noted that haiku and waka （Japanese short fixed form poems） are quite difficult to translate into English, so some parts are written in Japanese.
If you are interested in haiku or waka and would like to know more, please read introductory or specialized books on haiku or waka written in English.
I also write many articles about the Japanese language. I would be happy if these inspire more people to want to learn Japanese.
my blog’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳 | 団塊世代が雑学や面白い話を発信しています
my X’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多帳（@historia49) on X
Takatsuki City has a municipal bus system, which is rare for a satellite city. Furthermore, seniors 70 years of age or older can apply for a free pass.
This is a “senior-friendly” system, especially beneficial for seniors living in the hilly and mountainous areas of northern Takatsuki City.
However, from the perspective of Takatsuki City’s financial burden, it seems wasteful.
1. Usage of the “Senior Citizen Free Pass”
Takatsuki City is geographically long from north to south, bordering Kameoka City in Kyoto Prefecture to the north and Hirakata City in Osaka Prefecture to the south. Furthermore, forests account for approximately 44% of the city’s total area.
For these reasons, municipal buses are an essential means of transportation for residents living far from the city center, especially seniors.
However, according to an acquaintance of mine who lives in Nanpeidai, many elderly people seem to ride municipal buses even when they have no particular reason to do so, and some complain that the buses frequently stop at bus stops during their commutes, taking too long.
I believe that, based on the principle of beneficiary payment, the “senior citizen free pass” should be abolished and replaced with a paid service.
2. Takatsuki City’s “Financial Burden”
The loss of revenue due to this “senior citizen free pass” is a financial burden for Takatsuki City, which ultimately increases the burden on all residents.
Osaka City Bus, which continued to incur cumulative losses, was privatized and became Osaka City Bus Co., Ltd. It is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Osaka Municipal Subway Co., Ltd. (nicknamed Osaka Metro), which privatized the Osaka Municipal Subway. I recall that Osaka City Bus, like Takatsuki City, previously had a “senior citizen free pass.”
Abolishing the “senior citizen free pass” is expected to discourage unnecessary and non-urgent use of city buses. While it is not appropriate to discuss this in the same way as the “inappropriate use” of ambulances, I believe that Takatsuki City Buses have become less appreciated because free travel for seniors has become the norm.
While I’m not sure whether privatization, as in Osaka City, is appropriate, I would like to ask the Mayor of Takatsuki City and the City Council to consider abolishing the “senior citizen free pass.”
3. Changes to Takatsuki City Bus’s “Senior Citizen Free Ride System” Decided
I only recently learned that Takatsuki City’s “Senior Citizen Free Ride System” will be changed starting in April 2021.
It seems that Takatsuki City has been aware of this issue for some time, and I believe the decision was made to strike a balance between “elderly welfare” and “financial burden.”
(1) Key Changes
The age limit for free rides will be raised from “70 years old and over” to “75 years old and over.”
(2) Transitional Measures
(1) Those currently using free rides will continue to receive free rides.
(2) Introduction of a “Discount System” (*)
(*) A discounted fare of ¥100 per ride will be available for those aged 70 to 74.
(3) The age limit for free rides will be gradually raised.
For more information, please visit the Takatsuki City website.