Nemuro Kotsu has started demonstration runs of the “Okadama ⇔ Nakashibetsu Airport Liner” bus service, which is timed to Hokkaido Air System (HAC) flights.
The service connects the area in front of the Ariiso Sales Office (in front of the Nemuro Kotsu Sales Office) to Nakashibetsu Airport, stopping along the way at the Nemuro Station Bus Terminal, the Atsuko Station front, the Betsukai Town Community Hall “Plato” front, and the Nakashibetsu Bus Terminal. The airport-bound bus does not allow alighting at stops other than the airport, and similarly, departures from the airport do not allow boarding at other stops. The service will run from December 1 until February 11, 2024.
The fare from Nemuro (in front of the Ariiso Sales Office, Nemuro Station Bus Terminal) to Nakashibetsu Airport is 1,920 yen one-way for adults, or 3,460 yen for a round trip, with fares for children at half price. In the event of a delay in HAC flight arrivals, the bus will depart according to the arrival time of the flight, and will not operate on days when HAC flights are canceled. HAC’s Sapporo/Okadama to Nakashibetsu route had its inaugural flight on October 29. Until now, there were only buses timed to ANA flights, and passengers arriving on HAC flights sometimes had to wait up to almost three hours for a bus.
The Nakashibetsu Bus Line operated by Nemuro Kotsu, which ran between Nakashibetsu Bus Terminal and Atsuko Station front, was discontinued on September 30. Henceforth, the only buses traveling to Atsuko would be on the Nakashibetsu Airport Line, which runs all the way to Nemuro. Starting from October 1, the Nakashibetsu Airport Line added new bus stops but no longer makes adjustments for significant delays in flight arrivals.
