The government is considering obliging railway operators nationwide to install security cameras in newly built trains following a knife attack inside a Tokyo train in October, transport ministry officials have said.
Under safety measures compiled by the ministry, railway firms will also be called on to obtain passengers’ understanding and cooperation over baggage inspections after a revised ordinance enabled operators to begin conducting security checks from July this year. The move comes after the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism exchanged views on security measures with major railway operators including the Japan Railways group.
“Crime prevention steps were not necessarily sufficient, as existing measures have placed emphasis on safely operating (trains) and preventing accidents,” said transport minister Tetsuo Saito at a news conference in Tokyo.
“Learning a lesson from the incident, we will study the performance of security cameras and shouldering the costs of their installation,” Saito added. The ministry said it will start discussions on these issues with experts and train operators possibly later this month.
The ministry will study revising an ordinance on disaster prevention measures that instructs operators to take safety steps against fire but currently contains no requirements on security cameras.
Meanwhile, the government will consider making an exception in the case of one-car trains in which the crew can easily grasp the situation, ministry officials said. Under the measures, railway operators are asked to inform passengers about the location of emergency buttons and request that they use them without hesitation in an urgent situation.
As for emergency levers that would enable users to open doors manually, railway firms will consider providing explanations on how to handle them and making their functions easier to understand, given that they could disrupt train operations when used, the officials said.
Train operators are also asked to conduct necessary drills with police to prepare for a possible encounter with an assailant, the government said
