A problem with inter-city highway bus to Tokyo is delay caused by heavy traffic congestions in Tokyo urban area. This “Highway Bus and Rail Ride” was designed to solve this problem. When an inter-city bus to downtown Tokyo is caught in traffic jam in approaching to the destination, its passengers may transfer to metro at a station in the outskirt of Tokyo. The metro fare is discounted.
When a bus is approaching to Tokyo, information on traffic condition ahead is provided to the onboard passengers to help them decide whether to transfer to the train. Passengers who wish to transfer are issued discounted metro tickets and get off the bus at Yoga stop, from where Metro Yoga station is five minute walking distance.
This service was started in 2011 after a trial in 2010.

The highway bus will take about 15 minutes from Yoga to Kasumigaseki, the central governmental district, without traffic jam and about 30 – 60 minutes with traffic jam. According to the result of the questionnaire upon the pilot program, more than 70% passengers answered “traffic jam avoidance” as a reason for transfer to trains, and almost 80% passengers answered that, with the program, they would like to take the highway bus more frequently.

About 16 thousand highway bus passengers transferred to trains under the pilot program (in the span of almost ten months).

Highway Bus, Rail, Rest Area, Seamless Transfer

Road Bureau, MLIT Japan