The city of Kyoto on Saturday launched an express bus service connecting Kyoto Station to major tourist destinations in the area.
The bus service was introduced as part of the city’s efforts to tackle overtourism, a term used to describe the negative impact an influx of tourists can have on the environment and the daily lives of local residents.
Kyoto’s existing buses are overcrowded with visitors. Through the new tourist-oriented bus service, the city hopes to disperse these visitors and reduce the crowds that currently clog the local lines that local residents depend on for daily use.
The new service will operate buses stopping at popular tourist spots such as Kiyomizu-dera and Ginkaku-ji temples, as well as the Gion area.
The service is only available on Saturdays and Sundays, national holidays in the country receipt summer holiday period and the end-of-year and New Year’s holiday period.
Fares for the new service will be ¥500 for adults and ¥250 for children, compared to the standard fare of ¥230 for the city’s other bus services.
The Sightseeing Limited Express Bus service is also included in the existing one-day subway and bus pass, which costs ¥1,100 for adults and ¥550 for children.
A Singapore woman visiting Kyoto with her family said fares for the new bus service were a bit expensive but acceptable.
After using the new service to visit the Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art, she said it was good that the bus was not so crowded.
Another visitor from Tokushima said the new bus service allowed her to arrive early, adding that the trip was “comfortable” and she hopes to use it again.
