2020 Tokyo Olympic organizers struggling to find enough buses, drivers

"Transportation will determine the success of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics," said an official with the organizing committee.

And you made the assumption that the entire country is going to come to a sudden stop to assist in pulling off the games right?

Pay the people enough money and they will come. It's the law of economics!

That sounds like gridlock with all those buses!

"Transportation will determine the success of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics," said an official with the organizing committee.

That is simply stating the obvious and should have been clear from day 1 of the bid to win these Olympics.

The lack of logic and common sense is sadly..... not surprising, time to set up a comity to investigate the cause of such a regrettable matter.

Since venues of the Tokyo 2020 Games are dispersed across the capital

some events in Chiba, Kawasaki and Saitama. Not the capital but all over Kanto because Japan lied about their capabilities and budget in the presentation. This event has nightmare written all over it.....

Not the capital but all over Kanto because Japan lied about their capabilities and budget in the presentation. 

No way, Japanese never ever lie! Believe me, and there are plenty of posters here who say the same thing! Japanese people are honest to the point of being unbelievable!

And when you stop believing them, they will change the subject and start making comparisons to Rio or London, and then start talking about how well the trains run on time!

But never forget, Japanese NEVER, EVER, lie!

What a joke. Zero planning or aforethought.

Obon can be crazy in terms of logistics in Tokyo. There's a new religion HQ near where I live and one summer I witnesses the mass mobilization of 1,000s of followers in what seemed like hundreds of buses -- for a single event.

Rusting bus, cracked road, grimy 1960s bus station. Couldn't your picture editor have found something a bit nicer?

@ Alfie, good point and if you look at the front of the bus its not very polite if your called Keif.

What Alfie said. If I were considering bringing the family to Japan for the games, laying out literally 10 grand, that picture alone would cause me to close my Expedia tab. Who even wants to get on a bus when they're on vacation.

Still, not only is the necessary number of buses high but summer is a demanding business season for bus operators, especially in the Tokyo area.

I'd guess they'll be quite busy funneling any sensible Tokyo residents out of the capital. I wouldn't be caught dead there. Imagine your commute.

October games looking better all the time

Wait until the trains and subways become inundated and the city realizes that fans can only use 2 out of every 5 or so ticket wickets because they don't possess a pasmo card. 'The egg on my face games'.

I do not like Olympics Why do we have to treat them especially sacrificing people's daily life? Anyway, it lasts only several weeks. Other people will be inconvenienced but it will return to normal soon.

There are only 1,400 coaches in Tokyo or 5,000 in the area if the six nearby prefectures are included

And if they operate at 80% capacity already, that means only 1000, or half the required number, will be available in Kanto. Those six nearby prefectures will be the most populous ones. Further out and you're into inaka, which is not full of unused coaches and drivers with dai-ni menkyo (the bus one) either.

As with trade shows etc. being cancelled because event venues like Makuhari Messe, Big Sight, etc. have been commandeered as press centers, there is obviously going to be a knock-on minus effect here. I think the only planning that has been done was to get the bid through, with the understanding that unlimited money would then be thrown at the logistics. Anything else in the way, grass roots sports included, will just be steamrollered.

Well, 10 day Golden Week this year for the Emperor. Might as well make next year's obon last beyond the entire Olympics in 2020 as well. Shut down all of Japan so everyone can help with the event. But even then, you'll probably be short without foreign assistance.

It is finding the task difficult as summer is already a typically busy season for bus companies

you KNEW this right? You did proper research before planning the Olympics in the summer right? Pffffff

Tokyo Olympic was decided out of the blue. Have a referendum before they decide the invitation of the games.

The nightmarish clustertruck known as, the Tokyo Summer Olympics continues to amuse as a a disorganised and ridiculously expensive mess!

Currently there is a massive shortage of truck, delivery and bus drivers to the the tune of 100,000s.

Compound that with the intense demand of the olympics, then something, somewhere will have give.

I'm guessing enormous pressure will be put on regional towns, cities and companies across Japan to supply vehicles / drivers to help the cause of Mario Inc to "Make Japan Shine".

But as others noted - the Big question is, "How come all buses and drivers were not secured years ago as part of the Olympic proposal"? Transportation is only second to the facilities themselves as a measure of importance.

Did the IOC not thoroughly vet all details? Was someones word " No Problems" enough?

A shiny facade, but a rusted interior.

isn't this basic logistics planning?

Looks like we'll hit an all new level of overworked staff. Only hope they allow public transport people get enough time off to ensure they can stay focused and alert during working hours.

Where do all these extra veichals park?, drives sleep? More fuel tankers on the road. Mechanics? If they are seconded from other regions what happens in those regions? All in the unbearable heat and humidity. Have they enough trained medical staff? Ambulances? Questions that should have been addressed some time ago. JR are over capacity now, cramming thousands of hot people into cues, This will not end well.

Where to apply? I got a large bus license in 2017. How much do they pay in monthly bases?

Where to apply? I got a large bus license in 2017. How much do they pay in monthly bases?

1 shu or 2 shu?

What a joke. Can't wait for this mess to unfold and Japan Inc to sweep it under the rug and declare a success.

There is no way buses are going to work, they are going to need massive parking for the buses, garentee you they will all sit there with their engines on with the AC cranked!

This event has nightmare written all over it.....

So this will be Japan's Fyre Festival?

IOC and the Olympics itself, two of the biggest shams in history.

Huh?  They can't build and buy some new ones between now and 2020?

Yes, the IOC is a giant scam who make tons of money from the efforts of others.

Maybe AKB48 can help out with driving some buses!!

I mean, the oyaji always seems to think that AKB48 or a similar girl group is the answer to all international relations problems.

Seriously, though, a few observations:

-- Tokyo 2020 should always have pushed for a October 2020 date for a Tokyo Olympics!!! But they refused to do so because they wanted to win.

-- Tokyo 2020 overpromised on virtually everything, relying upon Japan's reputation for "getting it done".

-- If it is a problem, pay up!! EVERYTHING is available for a price!! Just ask Dentsu and their consultants!!

Back in January I walked around that stadium. I figured who am I, they must know better. I couldn't fathom how the metro and the bus system could accommodate so many people. Anyway, I'm going to stay away from Tokyo during the games. Oh well, Paris is pretty :)

Where to apply? I got a large bus license in 2017. How much do they pay in monthly bases?

It's volunteer like everything for the olympics! You get a free t-shirt and work 16 hours a day. Bery much fun

Anybody who knows “dads army” will know Scottish character Fraser. He will say it’s “doomed, doomed...”

alyamal, you get tshirt and thank you, be grateful that you get to participate in Tokyo Olympics.

I'll be out of here for the period of the Olympics of sure and watch the mayhem from far, they can have my seat on buses, whatever,

Since February this year, the organizing committee has begun laying out the terms and conditions for business agreements and is engaging in negotiations with bus operators.

Cutting it a little fine?

This event has nightmare written all over it.....

So this will be Japan's Fyre Festival?

Abe, the IOC and crew are currently planning on how to blame all of this on JaRule and have him take the fall.

Would it be possible for a bus to travel on a ferry from South Korea or China to Japan? I am sure there will be a few willing bus companies to send over a few busses and drivers, if its possible the could come to Japan before hand and get use to the area and locations, does Japan and Korea drive on the same side of the road?

Abe, the IOC and crew are currently planning on how to blame all of this on JaRule

when the real blame lies with JapanRule

Possible solution :1. buy new modern buses/coaches (consider double deckers too for extra capacity). Urgently train all those layabouts playing Candy crush etc in cities like Tokyo & Osaka. They will find several thousands doing nought during the day without any problem. Pay them decent wage & bonus for Olympics. and maybe they will remain in the labour market.

Import & train drivers from, say, Taiwan, China, , Indonesia, Malaysia etc. I am sure they will be happy to have holiday job provided the pay is much better than their own countries, they are housed and fed well and given free medical treatment and obviously return air tickets.

It's funny how during their pitch to the Olympics committee that everything seems planned already and then this very basic thisng isn't thought about. ahaha

Alex Einz

alyamal, you get tshirt and thank you, be grateful that you get to participate in Tokyo Olympics.

You participated for free while the Tokyo olympics committee take home billions of yen and you are not even welcome to their after party. haha maybe helping people in Tohoku will make more sense than covering up the mess of this rich , privileged people of the Tokyo Olympic organizers.

Uhh, you mean we should have done some planning for this??.............but I thought it just happened!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Never mind just throw lots more public money at it.

I have just thought of a simple solution. Give every visitor a free bicycle and rebrand them as the “Healthy Games!” What more could you want.

Looks like the old taxi boys will be busy!

“Pay the people enough money and they will come. It's the law of economics!”

You need to explain that to Japanese when it comes to everything else too.

Pay enough for aged care workers and they wouldn’t need to get people from abroad and then complain that they can’t speak Japanese.

Japanese are just too stingy.