Abstract
This paper reviews the current statutory and operational system of urban bus service and reports the impacts of the regulation system on the local bus market in five mega cities in Asia: Bangkok, Hanoi, Singapore, Tokyo, and Yangon. The bus-related laws/acts are collected through interviews with government officials in the cities. The results show that the definition of vehicle types, the fare regulations, responsibilities of public and private sectors, and the permission system of urban bus operation vary among the cities. Then, the paper proposes the Index of Market Intervention for Urban Bus with which the degree of market intervention by the government is evaluated in a given bus market. Finally, the paper presents the recommendations: the differentiation of regulation for small-sized vehicles from that for large-sized vehicles, the transparent decision-making process of fare setting in unstable markets, and the private management under the well-organized control of government.
