Opinions and Responses

About the Issues Near the North Exit Rotary of Inagi Station

The first of the two issues near the north exit rotary of Inagi Station is the problem of cigarette butts.
Smoking near the benches in the wide passageway between Keio Litonard Inagi and Pia Town 21, heading toward the old Inagi Station, has increased recently. While I generally agree with the no-smoking policy around the station, it may be too idealistic; for example, some people seem to smoke here after returning home by train at night. In the past, there was even an incident where a lit cigarette was blown by the wind and found near the shrubbery. Instead of simply imposing a ban, a smoking area should be established. If that is not possible, then since the ideal has been set, patrols should be conducted during the day and correspondingly late into the night. I hope the patrol times will be set during effective hours.
Regarding this matter as well, rather than placing the responsibility on Keio Litonard Inagi and Pia Town, we would like the city to take action toward improvements beyond just installing signs.

The second point concerns the pedestrian issues at the north exit rotary. It seems that one sign was put up, but there has been no improvement at all, and the other day I even saw pedestrians and drivers arguing.
With the way that sign was put up, it might have been my explanation last time that was poor, but I cannot believe that the current issues are fully understood, and if possible, I would like to provide a detailed explanation on-site once.
 

Response

[Regarding Cigarette Butts Near the North Exit Rotary of Inagi Station]
The city established the "Ordinance on the Restriction of Smoking on Streets and Other Areas in Inagi City" on April 1, 2018, designating roads and parks within a 300-meter radius of six stations in the city where many people gather as no-smoking zones on streets and other areas, aiming to prevent passive smoking and the littering of cigarette butts. In creating the draft ordinance, we reflected the opinions of the Citizens' Council for a Clean Town, conducted a Request for Public Comments, and obtained approval from the city council. During discussions on the ordinance, various opinions were received regarding the installation of smoking areas; however, from the perspective of preventing passive smoking, it was ultimately decided not to establish smoking areas. We ask for your understanding on this matter.
Regarding the deployment of street smoking prevention instructors, they are assigned particularly during busy times such as mornings and evenings; however, we will continue to closely monitor the situation and take flexible measures that are not limited to just installing signs.

[Regarding Pedestrians Near the North Exit Rotary of Inagi Station]
The city conducted an on-site inspection and consultation with the Tama Central Police Station, which is the traffic authority.
As a result, the measures the city plans to take include installing crossing prevention fences near the sidewalk at the entrance and exit of the motorcycle and bicycle parking lot on land owned by Keio Corporation to prevent pedestrians from passing through the Inagi Station North Exit rotary, setting up cautionary signs, and additionally, removing the zebra zone near the rotary exit and establishing new lane markings to separate straight/left turns and right turns in the future.
 

Back to the top of opinions and responses