JR Hokkaido Bus (ジェイ・アール北海道バス株式会社, Jei āru Hokkaidō basu kabushikigaisha) is an operator of inter-city and local bus lines based in Hokkaido, Japan. A wholly-owned subsidiary of the Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido), JR Hokkaido Bus is one of eight JR Bus companies within the Japan Railways Group (JR Group).
JR Hokkaido Bus operates routes connecting Hokkaido cities, as well as local city services in Sapporo.
Overview
Besides providing bus service inside the city of Sapporo, JR Hokkaido Bus also operates chartered buses. Its central business is transportation between the city center and residential areas, such as Teine and Atsubetsu; with some services starting from the bus terminals at subway stations.
The regional bus routes were originally established to complement the company's railway services, but were subsequently transferred to local carriers following a financial downturn in the company.[citation needed]