An Example in Arakawa City

The suspicions in Arakawa City is not fine yet.

General condition

As for Arakawa City, bicycle industry is most prosperous in Tokyo 23 Cities and important as local industry. On the other hand, the hostile measure and attitude against the bicycle and user by the City authorities are especially remarkable. Thinking of the bicycle use in Arakawa City, we should not overlook the political situation behind besides such measure and attitude.

The signboard of banning "hochi(left)" bicycle (left),
"Educational instructor" against bicycle parking (right)(2004.6.1)

Arakawa City authorities stand out hostile posture to the bicycle and user, such as making return expense of the "tekkyo(removed)" ""hochi(left)" bicycle" into 5000 yen before any other local governments in Japan. Such a "educational instructor" supports it. what justifies "educational instruction"?

Geographical and political situation

In Arakawa City, as for the geographical condition inconvenience to bicycle use is little, because it is plane the north - east area along with the Sumida river, except some part of southern part along with Bunkyo City (around Dokan-yama) being hillock. So, it needs bicycle use as traffic and move. Individual proprietor such as town factory crowds in city, also ratio in population of the senior citizen is high. Exceptionally like Shioiri area, there is also an area where is re-developed and new inhabitant resides in the tall apartments, it is said that generally many inhabitant live in here for a long time, at such a place people have been organized strongly by "ko" of festival (really, because of flood control measure since the Edo era). In addition, many Korean resident live here.

When talking about political situation of Arakawa City, we should remember that because of consecutive graft scandal in 2004 summer, following to the vice mayor, mayor FUJISAWA Shiko himself is arrested, who became the first arrested public-erected mayor of 23 cities of Tokyo metropolis. Besides it made Arakawa City notrious, at that time, the city authorities, not assuring city governmental renovation, made desperate efforts; putting intimidation and pressure on the critical person in order to enclose prosecution and criticism to the city government, also, making citizen's eyes turn to other things. In fact, some articles and web sites had been disappeared on Internet.

Under mayor FUJISAWA in Arakawa City authorities, adopting textbook of social sciences for junior high school by ultra-nationalist group "Tsukuru kai" (a conference for prducing new textbook) and making local law which denies gender free and are hostile in man and woman cooparative participation, anachronic ultra-right fascism policies are continuously pursued. So bicycle counter measuring, like "bicycle driver's licence", is not exception.

Bicycle "counter measure"; Neglecting people - user and exploiting from the people with mighty power

Arakawa City authorities made the return cost of the ""hochi(left)"bicycle" 5000 Yen before any other local governments in Japan. Although presently Taito City, Nakano City and Toshima City follow to make same amount, it still has been most expensive in Japan. We will examine Arakawa City authorities in recent years.

Manoeuvres and failure of "Bicycle tax"

2000 December, mayor FUJIEDA Kazuhiro (at that time), in excuse of counter measure cost against ""hochi(left)"bicycle", submitted to the local diet "bicycle tax" which imposes 1000 Yen each bicycle bought in the city, because of opposition by the local diet, bicycle shop and citizen in and out of the city, abandoned it and resigned mayor in January 2001.

It should be said that apart from the counter measure against ""hochi(left)"bicycle" and the problem of the tax out of the law itself, the "bicycle tax" has problem; not only it will bring the sale decrease of the bicycle shop in the city and heavier duty of the bicycle, but it is regressive tax. So it is the bicycle "counter measure" neglecting people - user and exploiting from the people with mighty power (reference with Impeach to Impose Bicycle Tax by Arakawa City).

Bicycle "counter measure" bring money!?

The bicycle originally is kind as a way of transportation, not only to the environment but also to the user in economy. But the administrative authorities - the local government, including Arakawa City, under the name of counter measure against ""hochi(left)"bicycle", has taken the policy destroys such a kindness. It is expressed to the way of ""hochi(left)"bicycle" and construction of bicycle parking.

It brings bigger benefit and power to make illegal bicycle paring ignoring the needs of bicycle use and "tekkyo (remove)" naming ""hochi (left)"bicycle"; the more frequently "tekkyo (remove)" and/or the wider its objective area, the bigger benefit and power become being able to threw the cost continuously and repeatedly. Furthermore in Arakawa City, return expense is most expensive in all over Japan.

So called " bicycle law" on which the administrative authorities - local governments depend as a basis of "tekkyo (remove)" of "quot;hochi (left)"bicycle" provides the return fee should be take into account actual cost, and does not admit too much expensive expense such as penalty. Following the law, being clear actual cost to prerequisite, the fee must be set within it, From the point of view it can be said to be illegal, and when the cost is less than return fee, it is also illegal. Refusing to reduce the cost of counter measure, with its increase, the city authorities will be brought bigger benefit and power.

The bicycle parking as "hakomono (structure)", wasting tax, is constructed made constructive and maintenance cost increase, and turns the bill to the citizen especially bicycle user. Concerning such pursuit of the benefit and power, the citizen ombudsman already made clear some part of it (the article, 2004 summer when vice mayor and mayor were arrested, are turned off from their website). You can understand easily that the suspicions in Arakawa City is not fine yet.

Minami-Senju; luxurious bicycle parking at the east side of the station (left), South side of the station (right) (2004.6.1)

JR Joban Line and subway Hibiya Line go pallarel near Minami-Senju station. A citizen ombudsman exposed the construction cost of it was invested superfluously. And the price is turned to the bicycle user. On the other hand, there is an orthodox bicycle parking at the south of the station. It is nearby "Kodukappara"; the execution ground of Edo period.

Retaliatory strengthening people supervision and organization

When scheming "bicycle tax", to the City authorities, many citizen, besides bicycle user, brought criticism, blame and impeachment from all over Japan, Since then Arakawa City authorities have aimed at bringing themselves to new power and increasing benefit in order to control and organize the bicycle and the user not only as an object of counter measure until recently, needles to say, not as a part of citizen. Through such a situation, the "bicycle driver's licence system" is produced.

What "bicycle driver's licence" means?

Presently, there become spread what we call "bicycle driver's licence" in several cities and prefectures. It is Arakawa City that introduced it.

Arakawa City authorities said that "bicycle driver's licence" begun in 2002 is aiming at actualising the local community obeyed to social rules, with learning about the safety way of riding bicycle, traffic rule and bicycle manner and preventing bicycle accident, and that cooperating with police, town block association, PTA, area commission for young people counter measure and so on, "bicycle driver's licence" will be given who passes lecture, written test and practical skill check, whose object being student more than 4th grade of elementary school, adults are also possible.

Although different from automobile driver's one, it is not forced to get or have for riding bicycle nor to certificate public licence, in public junior high school attending school by bicycle is permitted conditional with its acquisition (because of school combination due to decrease children, more student have to attend school long distance, attending school by bicycle is permitted), so it becomes to have power. It is said to be utilized similar way in not a few other local governments where introduced.

Concerning this, the city authorities told a lie that nobody who passed lecture had caused bicycle accident. Having traffic accident or questioning, automobile driver must be checked licence by police, but bicycle user will not. So it is nothing but the non basis brag false rumour propaganda.

Establishing "Arakawa City bicycle driver's licence system promotion conference" with the police, united town association, united PTA and traffic safe association etc., organizing and mobilizing "watching team for bicycle careful driving", it is manoeuvred to strengthen espionage organization and mobilization under the name of traffic safety. It closely resembles to the national mobilization during wartime, just it is fascism system.

As for the direct target being the child, the adult in a zone. To plant consciousness as who should obey to intention of the administrative authorities and man of power without critic and prevent from awakening conscious as an matured citizen, the authorities utilize children in order to break down consciousness which the adults already have.

Arakawa City authorities, learning from the failure of "bicycle tax", as its revenge, manoeuvres to strengthen supervision and organization to the citizen. it should be said that it is the real aim of "bicycle driver's licence".

Insulting people policy; shared bicycle (free cycle)

Arakawa City authorities take extended bicycle hostile policy symbolized that the return cost of the ""hochi(left)"bicycle" is most expensive in Japan, and supported by strengthening supervision and organization to the citizen, on the other hand, insulting people policy to turn away dissatisfactions.

It is one of such a policy that the free cycle which Arakawa City authorities started experimentally 2003 winter. Anyone can use it freely inside City free of charge, which is used ""hochi(left)"bicycle" which is not returned because of too much expensive cost. It is not for promotion the bicycle use, but for counter measure of the ""hochi(left)"bicycle". So it is possible to say that naturally, the city authorities have no concrete view concerning use, furthermore nor convenience and safety of the user at all. On the other hand, they tell its damage is brought by "badness of the manner of the user". That is substitute of the problem.

The problems of this shared bicycle (free cycle) have been already point out from others, so I omit overlapped, but it should be said that it is fundamentally contradict because designating counter measuring against the ""hochi(left)"bicycle", it depends on its existence as prerequisite.

Shared free bicycle, At the east side of Minami-Senju station (2004.6.1)

Arakawa City authorities experimentally utilise the ""hochi(left)" bicycle" not returned as the shared bicycle (free cycle) which anyone can use for free in the city. This is fundamentally contradictory in that it is premised on a ""hochi(left)" bicycle" continuing existing, advocating the "counter measure" of the ""hochi(left)" bicycle".

Bicycle use environment

Around Machiya Station (2004.6.1)

At Machiya, subway Chiyoda line, Keisei line and Metropolitan tram Arakawa line are connected. There are some private bicycle keeping places, too, in the alley back near the station. The landscape nearhere is changed by re-development constructing Centre Machiya completely. The needs of bicycle parking by consumer shows economic prosperity. But City authorities dare to erase bicycle from the urban landscape, Constructing bicycle parking the underground of Centre Machiya.

As for the thoroughfare and the railroad in Arakawa City, the national route 4 (Nikko kaido) through the east area to north and south and the subway Hibiya line which parallels to that, connect to the central area of Tokyo Metropolis passing Ueno, and Joban line, Yamanote/Keihin-tohoku line, Chiyoda line and Keisei line basically to north and south, east and west in some part of Arakawa City. In addition the thoroughfare such as the Meiji street and Senju-kaido street and the Metropolitan tram Arakawa line run in central-northern area east and west.

Minowabashi tram terminal (left), Machiya station (right)(2004.6.1)

Minowabashi is the starting point of the east in Toden (Metropolitan tram) Arakawa line which crosses Arakawa City and go to Waseda through Oji and Otsuka. It connects with subway Chiyoda line and Keisei line in Machiya. Also as for bicycle demand, because they are commercial area, besides "park and ride", Many shopper need bicycle parking.
Left pic; it turns out that around of the tram stop is re-fixed by the form which blocks parking bicycle. Right pic; from Chiyoda line Machiya station and the tram stop to Keisei Machiya station, since the planter is put in order to block parking bicycle, users are made to concentrate on the west side.

In addition, the new traffic system (Nippori-Toneri line) passing Arakawa City to north and south is under construction, The landscape along the railroad line and the station is changed, but, bicycle use will not become more convenient.

Around Nippori station (2004.6.1, 9.28, 11.23)

The landscape is quickly changed by the re-development accompanying new transportation system construction and it in front of a station. So Nippori food toy wholesale district is destroyed in the summer of 2004.

In regard to bicycle use, it is convenient not only to go such thoroughfare and access to the railway, with favour of the plane topography, to go everywhere in the city, In fact bicycle is essential to such needs.

Mikawajima station (2004.6.1)

Mikawajima station of JR Joban line is not for transfer. It is known according to the ghastly Mikawajima accident on May 3, 1962, more than 40 years ago. A bicycle parking is under the rails at the south of the station. And the position and form are effective in concealing a bicycle from the landscape. The shopping mall crossing the station north side from east and west in fact has much traffic, so the contradiction of the bicycle use demand and the authorities' bicycle hostility policy becomes obvious.

Nishi-Nippori (2004.6.1)

The station is the junction in JR Yamanote and Keihin Tohoku line with subway Chiyoda line. Left pic; A bicycle parking is under the Tohoku/Joetsu Shinkansen, and geographical feature is effective in concealing bicycles from landscape. Right pic; Because of Arakawa City authorities' bicycle hostility policy, many bicycle users are made to park their own bicycle where distant from the station. "Dokan-yama" at the south side of the station is the only heights in Arakawa City.

(Jul.21.2005)

Reference

Impeach to Impose Bicycle Tax by Arakawa City