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| A pokemon school bus! credits: |
Japanese public transportation is not convenient.
It is efficient, reliable and even comfortable. But, it's not convenient.
How it is so?
Let's take the buses. From the main station, they leave on time. But from the bus stops, they're usually 2-5 minutes late because of traffic. Some areas also have few buses. They only pass once in an hour. Personally, I always have to take the 7:03 bus to go to work so I can arrive at around 7:45 in school. If I miss that, I'll be late. The next bus passing by my school leaves the station at 7:50.
Then there's the famous "on-time" trains of Japan. Sure, they're almost always on time. If a delay happens, it is still certain that the train operators will do their best to keep the trains running. However, most people have to walk, ride a bicycle or drive to the train station. With my own experience, I have to walk 20-25 minutes if I need to take the train. If I live near the train station, I'd have to deal with costly rent and constant sounds of the train. Also, not all local areas in Japan are accessible by trains. In smaller cities, a private car is still the primary mode of transportation.
Finally, there's the taxi. Taxis are soooo expensive even though the fuel costs in Japan are comparatively lower. My personal estimate is the taxi fare is usually 10x the bus fare. For example, the bus fare to my apartment is 100 Yen. The taxi fare is usually 1000. I don't know why the taxi fares have sky-rocket prices. But if you go home beyond midnight and you don't have a car, then prepare to shell out a swath of cash for a taxi ride. That or sleep on the train station.
Friends who have visited me always commended the Japanese transportation system. They marvel how efficiency and the convenience. But here's the thing: They are tourists. The transportation system of Japan has considered the tourist spots especially in Kyoto, Tokyo and Osaka. Residents will certainly disagree with my friends especially in winter time. Because as I've said, the transportation system in Japan is not really convenient.
