Tokyo, Japan — A Japanese bus driver has lost his retirement package worth over US$84,000 after being dismissed for stealing the equivalent of US$7 from passenger fares—an incident that has now been upheld by the country’s Supreme Court as grounds for dismissal.
The driver, whose name has not been made public, had worked for Kyoto City’s public transport service for 29 years. His dismissal came after surveillance footage captured him pocketing 1,000 yen (US$7) during a fare collection on his bus in 2022.
In the incident, a group of five passengers boarded and paid 1,150 yen in total. The driver instructed them to deposit 150 yen in coins into the fare box, but accepted the 1,000 yen bill by hand and failed to process it through the system. Despite video evidence, he initially denied any wrongdoing during an internal investigation.
Following the incident, he was fired and denied his retirement benefit of more than 12 million yen. The driver sued Kyoto City, and a lower court initially ruled that the punishment was too harsh and should be reversed. However, in a final decision issued on Thursday, the Supreme Court sided with the city, ruling that the driver’s actions seriously undermined public trust.
“Each of our bus drivers works alone and handles public money,” said Shinichi Hirai, an official with Kyoto’s public transport bureau. “We took it very seriously that embezzlement took place. If our strict measures are not accepted, it could erode the public’s trust.”
The court also noted that the driver had a record of misconduct throughout his career, including repeated warnings for smoking an e-cigarette while on duty, though never in the presence of passengers.
Kyoto City officials expressed satisfaction with the ruling, emphasizing the importance of accountability and ethical conduct among public service employees.
The case has sparked debate online in Japan over the proportionality of the punishment, with some supporting the city’s strict standards for public integrity, while others argue the loss of a lifelong pension over a small sum is excessive.
