「３日未満」でも帰宅支援を　首都直下地震で方針―内閣府検討委

　内閣府の検討委員会は２６日、首都直下地震などを想定した帰宅困難者対策の新たな方針を発表した。国のガイドラインでは、大規模地震の発生後３日間は「むやみに移動を始めない」など帰宅抑制を求めている。この原則は維持する一方、鉄道が早く運行を再開した場合は、安全に帰れるよう支援策の検討を求めた。同府はこれを受け、ガイドラインを１年以内をめどに改定する。
　東日本大震災を受けて策定された首都直下地震対策では、救助活動を優先し二次災害を防ぐため、一斉帰宅を３日間抑制する原則を打ち出している。一方で近年、鉄道の耐震化が進み、震度６弱程度でも３日たたないうちに運行再開できるケースもある。デジタル技術の進展も踏まえ、検討会は被害や運行状況に応じた柔軟な対応を求めた。（2022/08/26-11:38）

A panel of Japan's Cabinet Office released on Friday a new policy on measures for those who would have difficulties returning home after major earthquakes, including helping such people head home once train services have resumed early.
   The Cabinet Office plans to revise related government guidelines within a year based on the new policy, which assumes a powerful quake that may occur directly beneath the Tokyo metropolitan area.
   The current government guidelines call on people to refrain from starting to move around unnecessarily, such as trying to return home en masse, for three days after major earthquakes in principle, in order to prioritize rescue operations and prevent secondary disasters.
   While maintaining the principle, the new policy called for discussions on specific measures to help people return home safely if railways resume services early after strong earthquakes. In recent years, railways have become more earthquake-resistant, resuming services within three days even in a case where the quake intensity reached lower 6, the third highest on the Japanese seismic scale.
   The panel stressed the need to respond flexibly depending on the extent of damage and train operation conditions, in light of progress in digital technology.