The transport minister has asked Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai) to increase the number of wheelchair spaces on Tokaido Shinkansen trains to six per train from the current one or two.
The company had aimed to increase the number to four for the time being but Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister Kazuyoshi Akaba told JR Tokai on Monday to expand the spaces further.
Based on requests from organizations representing disabled people and others, the ministry plans to decide on new standards for wheelchair spaces on all Shinkansen lines by the end of this month.
The numbers of wheelchair spaces in trains are decided by the ministry's standards. Concerning those on Shinkansen trains, the ministry, Japan Railway companies and organizations of the disabled have discussed expansion, eyeing the Tokyo Olympic and Pralympic Games.
On Monday, a test was conducted at JR Tokai's Oi rail yard in Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo, to check whether wheelchairs can smoothly move around inside a train car with slots for six wheelchairs.
Akaba, who attended the test, said, "The level of convenience was improved [compared with trains with spaces for four]. I ask for six spaces to be launched."
Yoshiki Suyama, executive vice president of JR Tokai, only said, "If a new standard is made, we adjust."
The three entities have agreed that the number of wheelchairs accommodated per train on other Shinkansen lines -- the Hokkaido, Tohoku, Joetsu, Hokuriku and Sanyo lines -- will be four, because their capacities are smaller than that of Tokaido Shinkansen line trains.
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