Seika Kururin Bus (精華くるりんバス)
Seika Kururin Bus is a community bus operated in Seika-cho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto Prefecture. The operation had been entrusted to NC Bus before, but has been transferred to Heijo Transportation Office of Nara Kotsu on November 1, 2007. The operation has started on March 3, 2005.
Summary
The bus vehicle body is not special, a bus of Nara Kotsu Bus with a banner in front and a notice in the side advertisement space.
The fare is a flat rate of 100 yen, and there is no discount for the physically disabled, students or children. However, preschool children are free of charge.
The CI-CA card is not available, but the coupon tickets of Nara Kotsu Bus have been available since November 1, 2007 when the operation was transferred to Nara Kotsu Bus.
Different from Kinotsu Bus of neighboring Kizugawa City, this bus line takes different routes from the existing routes of the Nara Kotsu route bus, and often uses different bus stop names from the existing stops even if they are located in the same places.
This bus seems more flexible than the other public community buses, as they use private or commercial facilities' names for the bus stop names, such as 'Mandai' (a chain store) and 'U-Town Keihanna/Kohnan.'
The bus line invites on-vehicle advertisements, although this is not often the case with community bus. They offer original services, such as providing in-vehicle announcement on the events that are held along the route.
Along the bus route, there are New Town and Kansai Science City (Seika/Nishi Kizu Area). Although the Kururin Bus routes overlap with those of Nara Kotsu Bus in many sections, the townspeople call for the more frequent bus services due to the Kurusin Bus fare is cheaper.
The operation has started since March 3, 2005. During test operation for the first four months the fare was free, and since July 1, 2005 when the official operation has started, the fare has been fixed to 100 yen.
Routes
South route
Hosono Station - Town Office/Library - U-Town Keihanna/Kohnan - Kansai-kan of the National Diet Library - Keihanna Plaza - Higashihataguchi - Hikaridai - Seika Town Seikaminami Junior High School - Yamadagawa Station
North route (circulating)
Hosono Station - Sugai - Hosono Station East (Kintetsu Shin-Housono Station) - Mukunoki Center - Minami-Kyoto High School - Gardening Space in Kyoto - Komada Station/Shimokoma Station - Strawberry Field - Hosono Station
Connection with railway
West Japan Railway Company (JR West) - Katamachi Line (Gakkentoshi Line)
Connected at Hosono Station and Shimokoma Station.
Kinki Nippon Railway Company (Kintetsu Railway) - Kyoto Line
Connected at Komada Station, Shin-Hosono Station (both East and West Exits) and Yamadagawa Station.