A Japanese bus driver with nearly 30 years of service has lost his entire retirement package worth 12 million yen (approximately $84,000) after being caught on camera stealing just 1,000 yen ($7) from passengers’ fares.
The 58-year-old driver, who worked for the Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau, was filmed during a routine ride in February 2022, pocketing a 1,000-yen bill instead of placing it into the bus fare processing machine. The incident was later discovered while officials were reviewing dashcam footage.
At the time, five passengers had boarded the bus and collectively paid 1,150 yen, but the driver was seen taking part of the money for himself. When confronted by his superiors, he initially denied the act, despite the clear video evidence.
Following an internal review, the city terminated his employment and revoked his retirement fund. In response, the bus driver sued the city, arguing that the punishment was too severe for such a minor offense.
A lower court agreed, overturning the penalty and calling it excessive. However, the case went all the way to Japan’s Supreme Court, which ultimately ruled in favor of the city, reinstating the original decision to cancel the pension.
The Supreme Court said the man’s conduct had the potential to erode public trust in the city’s transportation system and highlighted the seriousness of misusing public funds.
According to the ruling, this wasn’t the driver’s first offense. He had previously been reprimanded multiple times during his career, including for smoking an electronic cigarette while on duty, although it was reportedly when no passengers were on board.
Shinichi Hirai, an official from Kyoto’s Public Transport Bureau, welcomed the final verdict.
“Each one of the bus drivers works alone and handles public money,” he told AFP.
“If our strict measures were not accepted, then our organization could become careless, and it could result in eroding the public’s trust.”
