Bus stop SNS web app "Bus Kame Fan!" released

"Grow Kamemaru and become a fan of the town."
A new bus stop information platform

Bus Kame Fan! is a web app with game elements that allows users to have fun riding buses and expand the circle of Marugame fans. Users can raise Kamemaru, a character that lives at each bus stop, by posting and liking requests for bus stops in Marugame City and information about nearby spots they want to share.
Bus Kame Fan! not only displays the location and timetables of each bus stop, but also has other highly convenient features, such as collecting feedback about the surrounding area. This makes it a platform that connects various stakeholders, including local residents, transportation operators, government officials, and tourists, and helps to uncover the appeal of buses and the local area. It is part of a new urban development initiative that aims to revitalize the region by promoting the use of public transportation.

An attempt to promote the use of public transportation and revitalize the local area

Mitsubishi Jisho Design, which has been involved in urban development projects both in Japan and overseas for many years, is working to establish new urban development methods that make full use of digital technology as part of its ``Urban Development DX Project,'' including the release in October 2024 of a ``Floor Space Fulfillment Rate Map''^*3 that utilizes data obtained through satellite remote sensing technology.
Mitsubishi Jisho Design and PSS, a company that seeks to solve problems using geospatial data analysis and digital twin technology, have come together from the perspectives of urban development and transportation to address the common issue of declining public transport users in regional cities. As a first step in an effort to encourage more people to use public transport and thereby revitalize surrounding areas, they have developed Bus Kame Fan!
We aim to provide a service that is user-friendly for everyone, and during development we hold interviews with bus operators and city governments to reflect various needs.

By posting "good" information about your favorite bus stops, surrounding spots, and tourist attractions, and by clicking "likes," you can share information widely and strengthen the community. You can also "announce" things you want many people to know, or post requests for facility maintenance or repairs. These opinions can be collected by transportation operators and used in government transportation policies.
In order to revitalize lifestyles and tourism that involve bus use, the app has been designed with a game element in which everyone can raise "Kamemaru," a character that lives at a bus stop. It can be enjoyed by people of all ages, from children to adults, and will help to expand the base of bus users and foster a sense of attachment to bus stops and the surrounding towns.