Hokkaido Chuo City Bus / Photo by Rsa-Rsa / Source: Wikipedia
The reduction in bus services, an essential part of daily life, shows no sign of stopping. Even routes used by more than 400,000 people annually are being discontinued. Residents and local governments continue to suffer.
“I have to leave home earlier, so mornings are tough. It changes my commute by 15 to 30 minutes,” says a high school student who commutes by bus. This is the Keimei Bus Terminal in Sapporo’s Chuo Ward, where more than 160 buses depart and arrive daily. Jotetsu Bus has decided to discontinue three routes, including one connecting here to Makomanai Station in Minami Ward, in its December timetable revision.
“As winter approaches and it gets colder and colder, it will be harder to get out of bed, so I’m worried about whether I’ll be able to wake up properly and be late,” says a high school student who commutes by bus. Furthermore, Hokkaido Chuo Bus has also decided to reduce more than 200 bus services in the Sapporo area starting in December.
Sapporo’s bus routes, which once operated more than 10,000 times a day, have decreased by nearly 30% to approximately 7,150 services in 2024. The decline has accelerated in recent years. The difficult situation is not limited to Sapporo. “The bus that just came by is the only route that runs through this residential area.
Following the announcement of the discontinuation, we are hearing voices of concern from users,” says reporter Yota Kimura. In Kitahiroshima City, Hokkaido Chuo Bus has also decided to discontinue one of its two routes that it operates within the city at the end of March 2026.
The route to be discontinued is the “Sanpomachi Eastern Line,” which connects JR Kitahiroshima Station with a residential area and is a major artery of the city with approximately 70 buses running daily on weekdays. “It came as a bolt from the blue, I was shocked.” “It’s really inconvenient, as I use it to get to my lessons,” (both from bus users). Some residential areas will lose their only means of public transportation due to the discontinuation. Some of the areas where the route will be discontinued have an elderly population rate of approximately 50%, making them areas with a large number of so-called “transportation-disadvantaged” people.
“Those who can drive themselves and have cars are fine, but I’m someone who gets a ride, so I’ll be stuck indoors. The changes are only around Esconfield, and it hasn’t spread this far,” said a bus user. The city was informed of the route’s closure in January and negotiated with the bus company, but the closure was decided in June. “We were told that they couldn’t maintain the route due to a serious shortage of drivers. Approximately 430,000 people use the route annually. “We were very shocked by the closure of the route,” said Naoaki Shimono, head of the Kitahiroshima City Planning Division.
The closure of the route is truly a matter of life and death for the residents. A petition campaign to reverse the decision continues. “We believe that the major shortage of bus drivers will not improve anytime soon, so we have been working to show alternative measures,” said Shimono. Kitahiroshima City is using national subsidies to try to minimize the impact by changing the routes of existing routes and encouraging other bus companies to enter the market. However, the number of services during morning and evening rush hours and on weekends is expected to decrease significantly, causing anxiety among residents.
“It would be nice if there were at least morning service.” “I wish they would keep at least half the service.” (Both from bus users) The number of bus drivers in Hokkaido has decreased by nearly 3,000 compared to its peak. The bus industry is suffering from a chronic labor shortage. “If the number of drivers decreases, the only options left are to reduce the number of services or to abolish routes. If the reduction in services continues, the overtime pay that drivers were receiving will also decrease. I want the national and local governments to be responsible for the finances, and for the private sector to be in charge of operation and management.” (Imatake, Managing Director, Hokkaido Bus Association)
As we face a super-aging society, the role that route buses play as a means of transportation for residents will become increasingly important. On the other hand, the shortage of people to support them is becoming serious. What do experts familiar with public transportation think about the future of route buses? “Simply reducing the number of services will no longer be enough, and I think that within the next five years or so, some companies will decide that they cannot continue their bus business. It’s time to stop thinking of ‘buses as large vehicles.’ There may be ways to make the vehicles smaller and get cooperation from taxi companies and other businesses,” says Professor Toshiki Nishiyama of Tokyo City University. He says that because the ability to operate large vehicles on a fixed schedule is a barrier to securing drivers, it is necessary to explore ways to operate by making vehicles smaller and taking reservations via smartphone.
