FAQs
| All | Local buses | Express buses |
- Can smart transportation cards be used?
- Smart transportation cards cannot be used on Meiko buses. Please pay with cash.
- Are there special fares for children?
- Children (elementary school students) pay half fare (prices will be rounded off to the nearest unit of 10 yen).
- If a passenger (elementary school age and older) accompanies a child aged 1 to 6 years old, the child rides for free. If a passenger (elementary school age and older) accompanies more than one child aged 1 to 6 years old, one child is free and the rest ride for the children’s fare. Infants under 1 year of age are free.
- On express buses or other buses with reserved seating, infants or babies sitting in a seat will be charged children’s fare.
- What are “numbered tickets”?
Numbered tickets show the location where a person boarded a bus.
- Can we buy coupon tickets?
Yes, there are coupon tickets for local buses.
- Are buses wheelchair accessible?
- Wheelchairs can board low-floor buses that have a wheelchair logo on the front or side of the bus. The bus driver will set up a ramp and assist you. Inside the bus there are belts to secure wheelchairs in place.
- Where can we get vouchers proving how far we have traveled, or that buses are late or have temporarily stopped service?
- If buses have been delayed due to unforeseen circumstances such as traffic accidents or typhoons or other natural disasters, you can get a voucher, free of charge, proving delay from a Meiko Bus office.
- If buses are delayed or late arriving, is bus fare refunded?
- There are no bus fare refunds.
- What if we forget something on the bus?
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Items left on the bus are placed in the lost-and-found of the office of the particular bus route. If the items are not picked up by the owner after a certain period, they will be sent to the nearest police station.
Lost-and-found inquiries Meiko Bus Shirahama Office: Tel 0739-42-3378 - Bus etiquette
We ask for your cooperation in ensuring a safe and pleasant environment on the bus.
Because buses may have to make sudden stops, to ensure your safety, please remain seated, or hold a strap if standing. Talking on your phone can inconvenience other passengers. Therefore, while on the bus, do not talk on your phone, and turn off the power or switch to silent mode.
There is no smoking on the buses.
You are prohibited by law from bringing dangerous articles on to the bus. If you see any unattended articles on the bus, please report these to the bus driver.- Can we get change on the bus?
- There is a change machine for coins and 1,000-yen bills (not for 2,000-, 5,000-, and 10,000-yen bills). Have the proper fare ready before you get on the bus.
- In future, we plan to equip the Kumano express buses with change machines handling larger bills.
- Can we use, and get change for, the new 500-yen coins (issued starting on November 1, 2021)?
You can pay with the new 500-yen coins, and the fare boxes on the buses will give change for them.
- Will the fare boxes on the buses accept 10,000-yen notes?
Only fare boxes on the Kumano Kodo buses (between Shirahama/Tanabe and Shingu) accept 10,000-yen notes.