Japan city to ban phone use while walking

June 01, 2020 10:06 pm | Updated 10:12 pm IST - Tokyo

It is a scene repeated the world over: pedestrians glued to their phones while walking, causing collisions and sometimes accidents. No more, says one Japanese city.

Officials in Yamato city, near Tokyo, on Monday submitted a bill to the city assembly to stop people from using their phones while walking. “The number of people using smartphones has rapidly increased and so have the number of accidents” in the densely populated area, city official Masaaki Yasumi said. “We want to prevent that,” he said.

But Mr. Yasumi said there will be no punishment for those unable to tear themselves away from their screens in the street. Posters and messages will inform citizens of the rule, expected to take effect from next month.

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