Demand-responsive operations and maintenance of regional infrastructure during the COVID-19 pandemic

「The route, which had been suspended in September 2020 following a decline in ridership caused by the spread of COVID-19, will operate one round trip per day.」

「After Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai ended, the company resumed operations on the Itami Airport, Kansai Airport and Matsue Izumo routes, which had been partially suspended. It also began operating the Sanda–Kyoto route, providing a direct connection from Sanda, Hyogo Prefecture, to Kyoto Station without transfers.」

「In the route bus segment, the company improved convenience by increasing service frequency on the Sanda–Osaka Umeda–Shin-Osaka route as part of a timetable revision implemented in April, resulting in solid user numbers.」

「In the route bus segment, we improved convenience in key areas by increasing service frequency on the Sanda–Osaka/Shin-Osaka route and taking other measures. The number of IC card users increased 6.2% year on year. Although transportation volumes had not returned to pre-pandemic levels, they were gradually recovering due in part to the reclassification of COVID-19 as a Class 5 infectious disease.」

「In the route bus segment, we improved convenience in key areas by increasing service frequency on the Sanda–Osaka/Shin-Osaka route and taking other measures. The number of IC card users increased 6.7% year on year. Although transportation volumes had not returned to pre-pandemic levels, they were gradually recovering due in part to the reclassification of COVID-19 as a Class 5 infectious disease.」

「In the shared-route bus segment, the company expanded routes in priority areas, including increasing services on the Shin-Kobe/Sannomiya–Kobe Airport route to improve access to Kobe Airport, where international services are being expanded, and increasing services on the Sanda–Osaka/Shin-Osaka route to improve commuting and school access. The number of IC card users increased 5.6% year on year, while passenger numbers are recovering gradually, partly due to the reclassification of COVID-19 as a Class 5 disease.」

「In the shared-route bus segment, passenger numbers increased as people became more mobile following the easing of activity restrictions and the transition to living with COVID-19. The number of users of the company's IC cards increased 11.8% year on year. Measures in priority areas, including the launch in April of the City Loop sightseeing bus operating in central Kobe and increased services on the Sanda–Osaka/Shin-Osaka route, contributed to higher revenue.」

「Although the route bus segment was affected by the seventh wave of COVID-19, transportation volumes increased, with the number of IC card users up 16.1% year on year compared with the same period of the previous year, when restrictions on activities were in place under a state of emergency and other measures.」

「In the route bus segment, passenger numbers increased as restrictions on activities were eased. According to our IC card data, they were up 20.8% year on year, with usage of student commuter passes, in particular, up 44.2% year on year as in-person classes became the norm.」

「In the shared-route bus segment, passenger numbers improved from the previous year, which was affected by simultaneous school closures and requests to refrain from going out. In addition, the company revised timetables in response to changes in the external environment, including increasing services by the articulated PortLoop bus in line with the opening of Sannomiya and Shinkocho, and worked to improve profitability.」

「In the general route bus segment, we made timely timetable revisions in response to changes in demand and sought to balance revenue generation with fixed-cost reductions while minimizing the decline in users. In the intercity express bus segment, we suspended all services on the Kansai Airport limousine and Himeji–Tokyo routes, and continued suspending or reducing services, mainly on the Sannomiya–Shikoku and Chugoku routes, in response to the state of emergency and other restrictions on activities.」

「In this business, we worked to operate efficiently as regional transportation infrastructure by flexibly allocating personnel within the group in response to demand. In the route bus segment, we took measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and adjusted timetables in line with changes in demand during the pandemic while minimizing the impact on users. Although passenger numbers increased sharply from the same period of the previous year, they had not recovered to the level of the same period of fiscal 2019 before the pandemic, due to remote work, calls to refrain from going out and the continued use of online classes at universities along the routes.」

「Passenger numbers fell sharply after reversing their pre-pandemic growth trend, as shopping and leisure traffic declined substantially and universities along the routes shifted to online classes, companies adopted telework and employment conditions deteriorated.」

「In the route bus segment, we operated while taking preventive measures against COVID-19 to fulfill our role as regional infrastructure and considering the balance between supply and demand, including by suspending late-night services. Based on IC card data, commuter pass usage for students remained weak because universities along the routes were conducting classes online, but total passenger numbers recovered to 82.5% of the prior-year level in October, while commuter passes for purposes other than school commuting and multi-ride tickets had generally recovered to nearly 90%. However, from November onward, the spread of COVID-19 during the “third wave” caused the figure to fall to approximately 77% of the prior-year level.」

「In the route bus segment, we took preventive measures against COVID-19 to fulfill our role as regional infrastructure and continued operating on timetables adapted to the pandemic in some areas. Based on IC card usage, passenger numbers recovered from 39.8% of the prior-year level in May to 81.5% in September. Because universities including Kwansei Gakuin University and Kobe Gakuin University were conducting classes online, student commuter pass usage in September remained at 67.3% of the prior-year level, while commuter pass usage for work recovered to 88.4%.」

「In the route bus segment, we took preventive measures against COVID-19 as part of our role as regional infrastructure, and adopted a reduced-service operating structure in response to demand, including operating on school-closure-day timetables and temporarily suspending late-night services, while minimizing inconvenience to local residents. Based on IC card usage, passenger numbers are recovering, from a low of 39.8% of the prior-year level in May to 70.3% in June.」