Japanese railway and bus companies are operating special carriages and vehicles for people returning from overseas in line with the government's border measures against the coronavirus. But only a small number of people are using them.

The government is asking those who flew in from abroad not to use public transportation even when they test negative for the virus at the airport.

Companies linking Narita Airport and Tokyo, including Keisei Electric Railway and Airport Transport Service, began special train and bus services last December.

Keisei is setting aside one of the 8 carriages of its Skyliner trains 29 times a day for those travelers.

It has limited the capacity of each carriage to around 20, half the normal volume, but only 20 people on average use it daily.

Airport Transport Service is operating three special buses a day by limiting their capacity to half normal at around 20. But these buses have only five passengers a day on average.

NHK crew asked several people who had just arrived at Narita Airport about the special transportation services. Few of them knew of their availability. So they rented cars or called chauffeured vehicles instead.

Transportation firms say they will try to publicize their service through various means.