Here’s a little Japanese innovation that hopefully spreads around the world. One Toei Bus, part of the Tokyo Bureau of Transportation, currently offers USB charging ports around the vehicle.
The ports sit below the stop request button, and they share power with that button’s line. The ports are free to use, provided riders have their USB cables with them.
Rocket News 24 notes that only one bus in Tokyo currently offers these ports. Word has it that the Tokyo Bureau of Transportation will gather use data from this bus, and then they’ll decide whether or not to roll it out to the full fleet.
USB charging ports seems like a great idea
The only hesitation I have comes from those who’d want to swipe the phones or tablets being charged. I could totally see a criminal keeping an eye on these ports here in the States, waiting for someone who’s charging while a bit distracted, getting to a stop, grabbing the phone and bolting.
Yeah, maybe this isn’t such a great idea for the rest of the world.
Still, the fact that Japan’s trying it shows how dependent some folks are on their mobile devices.
Source: Rocket News 24