Tourists in Japan trapped in out-of-service bus resort to calling police

Tokyo: Two tourists trapped on an out of service bus in Japan resorted to calling the police for help escaping, the transport company said Tuesday, as...

Tokyo: Two tourists trapped on an out-of-service bus in Japan resorted to calling the police for help escaping, the transport company said Tuesday, as the country grapples with a surge of foreign visitors not all have welcomed.

The mishap occurred in the ancient capital of Kyoto last week after the duo hopped onto the bus not realising it was out of service, according to operator West Japan JR Bus Company.

Soon after departure, it became obvious something was wrong: the bus was eerily quiet and its display panels showed no destination.

But when the tourists asked the driver to stop and let them off, their request was ignored.

"Because of the language barrier, they couldn't communicate very well," the company's spokesman told AFP.