On October 1st, Yamato Transport and Okushiri Town in Hokkaido began a trial operation of route buses and public ride-sharing services utilizing Yamato Transport's sales drivers and vehicles.
Sales drivers are responsible for operating the route buses.
For local bus routes, Yamato Transport's passenger-only vans (maximum 8 passengers) will be used on some routes operated by the town-owned bus service in Okushiri Town. Sales drivers will be in charge of the operation.
The service will cover four daily trips on the "Ferry Terminal - Okushiri Airport (Southern Route)" and three daily trips on the "Okushiri Airport - Kamuiwaki Onsen (West Coast Route)." In addition to the conventional fixed-schedule and fixed-route service, on-demand service will also be implemented to meet the needs of passengers. The service will run until March 31, 2027.
Furthermore, "Shima Noriai," a mixed passenger and cargo public ride-sharing service that has been operating free of charge since August 2025, will transition to a paid trial on October 1st, and a reservation method using a dispatch system will be added. The trial period is scheduled to run until January 31, 2027.
"Shima Noriai" operates throughout Okushiri Island from 6:00 to 23:00. Yamato Transport's sales drivers use their delivery vans (maximum 4 passengers) between 8:00 and 18:30 to transport passengers during their free time in the daytime.
In addition, a system is in place in which local drivers participate in the operation as a side job or community service, using town-owned or leased vehicles (maximum 9 passengers) to primarily handle sightseeing and daily transportation from evening to night.
Reservations can be made by phone or through the official LINE account of the ride-hailing system "MITT". Fares are distance-based, with a starting fare of 700 yen.
Okushiri Town has a population of approximately 2100 people, and the aging rate is about 41%, but securing transportation is a challenge due to the limited number of taxis and bus services.
The two parties aim to create a sustainable mobility support system by utilizing public ride-sharing schemes (private paid passenger transport) and combining local vehicles, human resources, and logistics capabilities.
This project will be implemented after being selected for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's "Emergency Measures Project to Eliminate 'Transportation Gap' (2026 Project for Full-Scale Redesign and Implementation of 'Transportation Gap' Elimination, etc.)."
