ニュース 2015/07/31 Six opposition parties make joint submission of bill protecting children travelling to and from school to upper house On July 31, the DPJ, the Japan Innovation Party, the Party for Future Generations, the Social Democratic Party, the People’s Life Party, and the New Renaissance Party jointly submitted a Child School Route Protection Bill [tentative title] to the House of Councillors. This legislation aims to prevent children suffering traffic accidents travelling to and from school, as well as to keep them safe and secure from criminal acts and disasters. Specifically, it proposes, (1) that the central government draw up a basic policy, and local governments both a basic policy and a child school route protection plan, setting out measures to protect the safety of children travelling to and from school, and (2) that based on the protection plan, subsidies be provided by central government to local and municipal governments and measures taken such as implementing any necessary projects. This legislation has already been submitted to the Diet on several occasions by the DPJ and other opposition parties, but in each case, the ruling parties refused to support the legislation and so it was not enacted by the Diet.