Poster series: "Please move only after the bus has stopped"

After taking the city bus a number of times, I noticed that generally, passengers would only walk to the front* of the bus to pay and alight after the bus had completely stopped.  In fact, some passengers even took their time to walk to the front.  And the whole busload of passengers would be waiting patiently for them to alight.

 

At first, I couldn't understand this. Japan is afterall well-known for its civic-minded and considerate culture. Why wouldn't the passengers get ready to alight earlier by moving to the front as the bus is nearing their destination stop? In that case, they wouldn't hold up the rest of the passengers.

 

Then one day, I saw a poster on the bus which I had initially mistaken as one about giving  up your seats to those who need them. Upon closer reading, I learnt the reason why passengers would always take their time to alight from the bus.

 

The bold words in pink background in the centre of the poster read "It is dangerous. Stand up from your seat after the bus has stopped". And the smaller words in yellow background state that accidents and injuries on the bus are on the rise. So there is actually a more important consideration behind the passenger behaviour.

 

So if you are boarding a Kyoto city bus for the first time, don't be in a hurry to alight because safety comes first.

 

* The standard procedure for getting on and off a Kyoto city bus is quite different from that of a Singapore SBS bus. You board from the back of the Kyoto city bus and alight in the front. Before you alight, you pay your fare. The official Kyoto City Web provides a detailed set of instructions on how to board a Kyoto city bus complete with illustrations.