Fukuoka City will pilot a new direct bus route linking the Tenjin and Hakata Station areas with the Waterfront, the area along Hakata Bay that is home to the Fukuoka International Congress Center and other large-scale event facilities. The pilot run will last from Jan. 25 to Feb. 1, during which time the City expects 6,000 riders. The City aims to improve access to the Waterfront and will use rider survey data in considering whether to offer regular bus service.
While there are already buses connecting Tenjin and Hakata Station to the Waterfront, the City has received complaints that the routes are inconvenient and hard to understand. The City will examine how bus ridership changes during the trial period which coincides with a large academic conference and a concert by a popular performer. The pilot program will cost 4.5 million yen. The City will test two routes. The one starting from Tenjin (Solaria Stage will take 20 minutes, cost ¥180 and make 30 round trips a day. The other route originating from Hakata Station will take 15 minutes, cost ¥220 and make 40 – 50 round trips a day. These but will take five to 10 minutes less than existing ones.
The test run, however, is not without its doubters. Nishitetsu currently runs more than 500 buses on weekdays that link Hakata and Tenjin to the Waterfront. Prof. Toshinori Sumi of Kyushu University was quoted as saying, “If the City is going to run direct buses, there needs to be a division of duties with the existing bus service provider. The aim of this taxpayer-funded program is vague and its effect will be difficult to measure.”
Source: http://www.nishinippon.co.jp/nnp/item/343614
