Overview

• The transport ministry began enforcing vehicle-use suspensions on Oct. 8 at 111 post offices over improper driver roll-calls, including alcohol checks.
• A total of 188 light cargo vans are now unusable for 15 to 160 days, and affected offices surrendered license plates and registration documents.
• Japan Post executives apologized, and President Negishi said there have been no reports of operational problems or missed deliveries.
• Service continuity measures include outsourcing routes and reallocating unaffected vehicles, such as ferrying a van from Takamatsu Minami to Naoshima for island pickups and deliveries.
• Sanctions will be applied sequentially and, according to reporting, could eventually extend to about 2,000 of roughly 3,200 offices, with nine single-van posts temporarily left without their own vehicles.