Kongo Bus / Photo by KishujiRapid / Source: Wikimedia
Woman (73): “It will be terrible if it disappears.” “We won’t be able to go anywhere.” Man (81): “I thought something like this would happen eventually.” Kongo Bus, which decided to discontinue its service on November 20th, operates routes mainly in four municipalities, including Tondabayashi City and Kanan Town in Osaka Prefecture, and is used by approximately 2,600 people (on average) per day. In some areas, the only public transportation will disappear.
“The reason is a shortage of drivers.” “To be honest, we’ve reached our limit.” The reason is a shortage of personnel.
Until a few years ago, there were about 30 drivers working for the company, but since last autumn, there have been a series of resignations, and now the number has decreased to 17. The company is operating with three drivers dispatched from other companies.
“Buses are an essential lifeline for the residents of the area, indispensable for commuting to work and school. We will continue to consider persistently how to secure as many bus routes as possible.”
After the discontinuation, other bus companies and the respective municipalities along the routes will operate the buses instead, and most routes will be maintained. However, reductions in the number of services and operating hours are unavoidable.
“It’s true that we haven’t reached 100%, but I think this is the best we can do at this point. We’re trying to recover at least a little bit from the fact that Kongo Bus has gone to zero.”
Taishi Town Resident (79) “If you don’t come back around 8 pm, there’s nothing left.” “There’s nowhere else to go, so it’s a problem.” Kanan Town Resident (74) Kanan Town Resident (69) “This isn’t just a problem for Kanan Town, it’s a problem that will spread throughout the country.” “It could happen in any new town in the Kansai region. If it ends up like Kongo Bus, it will be too late.” The problem of bus consolidation is not limited to Osaka. Ikoma City, Nara Prefecture.
It’s a commuter town where more than 117,000 people live. Although there are trains, the mountainous terrain means there are many slopes, and many areas are covered by local buses. Even in Ikoma City, where local buses are indispensable, there are plans for reorganization… Last March, Nara Kotsu, a bus company operating local routes, approached the city of Ikoma with a proposal to discuss five routes, mainly within the city, stating that “due to low ridership and poor profitability, it is difficult to continue operations as they are.”
A reorganization plan was considered that would involve eliminating one bus stop with few passengers, replacing some routes with community buses, and further reducing the number of services. “Nationwide, the peak was in 1968. In Nara Prefecture, the peak was 22 years later, in 1990. 90 million people used the buses, but by 2019, that number had fallen to 50 million. This was a decrease to 55% of the peak. Against this backdrop, the coronavirus pandemic occurred. We requested that you discuss how we can somehow maintain the routes.” With passenger numbers already declining, the spread of COVID-19 caused a sudden deterioration in revenue. Residents along the routes said, “When we heard about the route reorganization, we were shocked.”
They are now pleading for the routes to be kept running somehow. “It would be terrible if it disappeared, so I hope we can use it even a little.” “It doesn’t affect us immediately, but looking at the long term, I think we need to consider various things.” Discussions are continuing between Ikoma City, Nara Kotsu, and residents to protect this vital means of transportation. Residents have called on each other to use the buses, and events have been held to make fares a flat 100 yen, resulting in a recovery in passenger numbers on some routes. Ikoma City is calling on people to “use the bus just once a month to go to the hospital or shopping, which is enough to turn unprofitable routes into profitable ones.”
“We are facing a very tough business environment, with a declining population, COVID-19, and a shortage of drivers, and discussions are progressing on how to maintain it somehow. Maintaining public transportation is a city-wide issue.” “Convenient transportation is essential in urban areas; if you’re in trouble, there won’t be anyone to help you.”
