In a bid to reduce overcrowding on trains during the morning rush, the local government of Tokyo has launched a campaign that encourages commuters to travel to work earlier than usual.
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike initiated the Jisa Biz campaign, which means “time-lag business,” to influence workers to adjust their travel schedules and improve train congestions in the run-up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, Japan Times reports.
About 740 companies, including Pfizer Inc. and Microsoft Corp., are participating in the initiative which involves providing highly flexible hours to its employees. Workers are also given the option to work from home or remotely. Some companies even prepare breakfast at the office as an incentive for those willing to start their jobs early.
Metro operators have also begun adding more trains on weekday mornings to facilitate commuters for the campaign which runs from July 9 to Aug. 10.
“This will be the second year we implement Jisa Biz with the catchphrase ‘If mornings can change, every day can change,’” Koike was quoted as saying late last month during the announcement of the citywide initiative.
Dubbed as Tokyo’s “commuter hell,” the daily pandemonium commuters experience has recently seen some minor improvements since the 1960s and 1970s which saw the train congestion at its peak.
However, the problem of crowded carriages still persists and commuters continue to endure crowded lines on their way to work.
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