Japan to Introduce "Blue Ticket" Fines for Cyclists in April 2026
Tokyo, April 24 (Jiji Press)--Japan will introduce on April 1, 2026, the "blue ticket" fine system under which bicycle riders pay fines for minor traffic violations to escape criminal punishment, the National Police Agency said Thursday.
Under the system, the maximum fine of 12,000 yen will be slapped on those who use smartphones while riding a bicycle.
The NPA will seek public comments on the new system to be applied to violators aged 16 and above.
Traffic violations by bicycle riders have been addressed through the "red ticket" system subject to criminal punishment for malicious cases or warnings by police officers for other cases. As the percentage of people prosecuted under the red ticket system had been low, Japan's parliament passed legislation to revise the road traffic law in May last year to introduce the blue ticket fine system for cyclists, similar to the one for car drivers and motorcyclists, with the aim of improving the effectiveness of the police's traffic enforcement efforts and encouraging compliance with traffic rules.
According to the draft enforcement order for the revised road traffic law unveiled by the NPA on Thursday, the fine system for cyclists covers 113 types of violations, also including running a red light, to be subject to a fine of 6,000 yen, and ignoring a stop sign, for which 5,000 yen will be imposed.
(2025/04/24-13:32)
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