Takayama City to make sightseeing buses one-way traffic with safety measures in "Nakabashi" - 70% of residents ask for measures
Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture has announced a plan to trial one-way sightseeing buses with the aim of ensuring the safety of pedestrians visiting the tourist attraction "Nakabashi" and relieving traffic congestion. We are currently coordinating the implementation of the measures. (Photo: The target is a large sightseeing bus)
Nakabashi, a tourist spot that symbolizes Takayama City, is popular for its red balustrade and historic townscape scenery. However, the 7-meter-wide bridge has no sidewalks and a mix of pedestrians and large tourist buses, making the risk of collisions an issue. In particular, with the increase in the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan, dangerous situations such as passing buses and taking pictures in the middle of the road were frequent.
Demonstration experiment conducted in the summer of 2024
From June to July 2024, Takayama City conducted a demonstration experiment aimed at improving safety around Nakabashi. In the experiment, we stopped the parking of tourist buses at the "Shinmei Parking Lot" near the bridge in an attempt to control the influx of buses.
Effects of the Demonstration Experiment
The experiment confirmed that the amount of vehicular traffic around Nakabashi was reduced, and a safe walking space was ensured to a certain extent. In addition, a public opinion survey found that more than 70% of respondents are aware of the need for safety measures.
Challenges of the Demonstration Experiment
On the other hand, since more than 80% of sightseeing buses are short-stay tours of about 1~2 hours and 30 minutes, there was a concern that tours would not visit Takayama due to the distance of the parking lot. In addition, a human flow survey showed a decrease in the number of tourists around Nakabashi and Jinya, which is located on the west side of the bridge, and some businesses reported a decrease in sales and cancellation of reservations.
One-way sightseeing bus traffic
Based on these results, Takayama City has decided to make the route of sightseeing buses through "Nakabashi" one-way on a trial basis. This measure covers large sightseeing buses carrying tour passengers.
Specifically, sightseeing buses will be guided from the Takayama Jinya area to the Shinmei Parking Lot through Nakabashi, and buses departing from the parking lot will be guided to the north area on the other side of Nakabashi as a voluntary restriction.
On December 17 and 19, Takayama City announced the results of the demonstration experiment to citizens and businesses in the city, as well as the one-way system. Briefing Held. In the future, we will inform bus industry groups and install information signs around Nakabashi to prepare for a one-way street.
