Minamikyushu City, Kagoshima Prefecture, Introduces Bus Location and Digital Signage Systems to Community Bus Service

Uni-Trand Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Gen Takano; hereinafter referred to as Uni-Trand), a group company of Uni-RITA Co., Ltd. (TSE Standard Market: 3800; hereinafter referred to as Uni-RITA), which solves transportation and logistics challenges with digital technology for the realization of sustainable local communities, announces the introduction of Uni-Trand's 'Bus Location & Operation Status Visualization Service' and 'Public Transportation Digital Signage System' to the Minamikyushu City Community Bus (commissioned operators: Minamikyushu Azuma Kotsu Co., Ltd., Ikeda Kanko Co., Ltd., Satsuma Kanko Bus Co., Ltd.; hereinafter referred to as 'Himawari Bus') in Minamikyushu City, Kagoshima Prefecture (Mayor: Hiroyuki Nuruki; hereinafter referred to as Minamikyushu City).

Digital signage installed at the Kawabe Branch Office

Minamikyushu City is located in the southern part of the Satsuma Peninsula, blessed with abundant nature, and ranks first among all municipalities nationwide in tea production, represented by Chiran tea.

In Minamikyushu City, the operational system of 'Himawari Bus' was re-organized starting from October 2025. Currently, 'Himawari Bus' operates as a route bus connecting city hall branch offices and major facilities, with two routes each operating a base of 4 round trips (8 services) per day. Minamikyushu City planned to accurately grasp the actual usage status of 'Himawari Bus' and utilize it for future improvements in transportation services.

Accordingly, Minamikyushu City has introduced Uni-Trand's 'Bus Location & Operation Status Visualization Service' (hereinafter referred to as 'This Bus Location Service') and 'Public Transportation Digital Signage System' (hereinafter referred to as 'This Signage System') to collect and analyze passenger attribute data and improve user convenience, and has been operating them since February 2026.

[Overview of This Service]

● Passenger attributes (7 categories) for 'Himawari Bus' users are entered by the driver via a tablet terminal upon alighting.

This detailed collection of attribute data in 7 categories is the first initiative for a community bus operated by a municipality.

● The data is transmitted to the operation management system via online communication.

● The received data is visualized and provided through the browsing report function of the operation status visualization cloud service 'MANALYZE' (Note 1), showing the number of passengers, attributes, and operation delays by route.

● Real-time bus information (GTFS-RT, Note 2) is distributed to 'This Signage System'.

Note 1: 'MANALYZE' is a Uni-RITA cloud service with the following two functions:

- Visualization of boarding/alighting numbers via a map interface - Output of summary reports for boarding/alighting numbers (Excel)

Note 2: GTFS-RT (GTFS-realtime) is an international format for real-time operational status of public transportation.

[Overview of This Signage System]

● One digital signage unit (Full HD 55-inch display) is installed at each of the three city hall buildings.

● The following information is displayed on the screens:

- Schedule information and real-time operational status of the 'Himawari Bus' currently in service - A city hall announcement function for distributing various notices - PR videos for demand-responsive transport and sightseeing videos

[About 'Himawari Bus' (Minamikyushu City Community Bus)]

In Minamikyushu City, since September 2009, under the nickname 'Himawari Bus', two types of community buses have been operated to resolve public transportation gaps and inconvenient areas within the city: 'Route Buses' connecting bases in each district, and 'Lifestyle Support Buses' to support daily activities such as hospital visits, shopping, and hot springs within the region.

With the re-organization of the operational system from October 2025, 'Himawari Bus' will continue to operate only as a 'Route Bus'. The 'Lifestyle Support Bus' will be abolished and replaced by an AI-powered, reservation-based shared taxi service called 'Choi Soko Himawari', operating in three regions (Ei, Chiran, and Kawanabe).

Going forward, Minamikyushu City plans to further improve the convenience of 'Himawari Bus' and develop a sustainable regional transportation network through data-based usage analysis.

In this way, Uni-Trand will continue to promote initiatives that contribute to improving the convenience and utilization rate of public transportation for local residents through mechanisms for 'visualizing transportation', such as 'bus location information' and 'operational information by route and system', utilizing digital technology.

[Inquiries Regarding This Matter]

Uni-Trand Inc. Public Relations Department

Mail: info＠unitrand.co.jp

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*The information provided is current as of the announcement date. Please note that it may differ from the latest information.