Kyoto budgets for Japan’s first bus fare system prioritizing residents over visitors

In its draft budget for fiscal 2026, the western Japan city of Kyoto allocated over 270 million yen ($1.8 million) toward the introduction of a pricing system for city buses and other services, offering local residents lower fares than visitors. Kyoto identified measures to make tourism more compatible with the lives of its residents as one of the main areas to strengthen funding in the budget announced on February 4, which it says prioritizes residents above all.As part of efforts to address issues related to overtourism, funding will be put toward alleviating congestion on public transpo…READ FULL ARTICLE