A Study on Regulatory Framework in Bus Services

Abstract

Japan’s commercial bus services are categorized as regular service and occasional service within the regulatory framework. The categorization throws the market into disarray. This article examines UK's regulatory framework as a successful model. There are clear simple definitions of local service and others. Governments intervene in local service mainly for the quality of service and “State Aid”, on the other hand into others for competition policy. It is concluded that the reform of Japan's regulatory framework should put local service into “State Aid” field and give more freedom to undertakings in the market of coach.