As the management of bus companies becomes more difficult in various places due to the influence of the new coronavirus, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is trying to improve management by reducing the operation of the section where five bus companies in Kumamoto Prefecture overlap. The plan was approved for the first time in Japan on the 19th.
The "joint management" plan was approved by five companies, Kyushu Sanko Bus, Sanko Bus, Kumamoto Electric Railway, Kumamoto Bus, and Kumamoto City Bus, all of which are headquartered in Kumamoto Prefecture.
These five companies aim to improve management by reducing the number of trains operating on the overlapping four sections in Kumamoto Prefecture from next month and sharing the routes among the companies.
It was regulated by the Antimonopoly Act that bus companies discuss the number of buses operated, but last year, a law was enacted to allow special cases only for local buses that are difficult to manage, and this time it is approved for the first time in Japan. it was done.
According to the Joint Management Preparation Office created by the five companies, the annual deficit is expected to decrease by 31 million yen by streamlining vehicles and personnel in overlapping sections.
Two bus companies in Okayama City applied for such "joint management" on the 15th of this month, and bus companies in Hiroshima City and Maebashi City are also considering it, which is expected to lead to the maintenance of local transportation infrastructure. ..