Opinions and Responses

Regarding iBus

I thought I somewhat understood the reduction in iBus services, but this timetable is just too terrible.
Even if you can commute to work or school in the morning, you cannot return in the evening or at night.
This is because the last bus at each station is in the 5:00 p.m. hour.
If the City Administration had common sense, they would obviously have understood this, but I cannot trust a City Administration (mayor) that deliberately implements such measures at all.
The biggest problem is that the city lacks the fundamental recognition that transportation is the key to regional revitalization and a demand of the citizens.
Regardless of the routes, if there is no consideration to set the last bus at least in the 8:00 PM hour, I would like to question the mayor's mandate.

Response

Regarding the current situation surrounding route bus Business Operators, there is a nationwide issue of a severe shortage of bus drivers and the need to comply with the revised "Standards for Improvement of Working Hours, etc. of Motor Vehicle Drivers," commonly known as the "Improvement Standards Notice," which was amended and enforced on April 1, 2024. Route bus Business Operators are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain the current scale of operations even for community buses, which are operated with subsidies provided by local governments to cover the gap between operating expenses and fare revenues.
In Inagi City as well, Odakyu Bus, which operates the i-Bus, requested consultations with the city regarding reviewing operation routes and times, including the possibility of withdrawing from i-Bus operations, in order to maintain the route bus services.
Therefore, the city has held repeated discussions on reviewing the i-Bus operation courses and other matters at the "Inagi City Regional Public Transportation Council," a statutory council composed of representatives from each Neighborhood Association, various citizen groups, bus operators, and the police, aiming to realize transportation services suited to local conditions. As a result, we have secured revised routes that minimize the impact on citizens as much as possible by requesting new bus operators other than Odakyu Bus and by dividing orders among these operators.
Regarding the operating hours of the revised routes you inquired about, the operation is feasible and meets the "Improvement Standards Notification." Based on the management decisions of each bus operator, discussions have been held and decisions made at the "Regional Public Transportation Council." When revising routes, we proceed while gathering opinions from citizens by holding public opinion hearings and other means.
Furthermore, even after the decisions on the current revisions were made at the Inagi City Regional Public Transportation Council, for items with strong citizen demand, the Mayor of Inagi City has directly requested improvements as follows: to Odakyu Bus, requests include "extending the route bus (Inagi 02 line) that currently terminates at Inagi Station to Inagi City Hall," "increasing the number of route buses (Shin 05 line) from Shin-Yurigaoka Station to Inagi City Hospital, or alternatively, extending the route bus (Inagi 02 line) that terminates at Inagi Station to the City Hospital," and "extending the iBus Hirao circular route (New C course) to Wakabadai Station"; and to Keio Bus, requests include "extending the operation end time or increasing the frequency of the route bus (Waka 02 line) from Wakabadai Station to Minami-Tama Station."

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