Kiyoshi Sakai, a government director in the Japanese land and infrastructure management ministry and transport researcher Norikazu Suzuki investigated Brighton & Hove’s successful partnerships to improve bus services and increase bus passengers in the city. They toured the city on Wednesday, 1 March, with transport planners from Brighton & Hove City Council and Brighton & Hove Bus Company representatives.

Councillor Craig Turton, deputy chair of the environment committee, said, “It is exciting that representatives from the government of Japan, a country renowned for its technological innovation, are interested in what we are doing here. They came to Brighton & Hove because they had heard about our good practice and resulting success in increasing bus passengers.”

The visitors wanted to find out about Brighton & Hove’s bus network, how the partnerships with local bus companies works and how the council has helped to increase bus use in the city.

Through its main partnership with Brighton & Hove Buses, Brighton & Hove City Council has helped improved bus information. Using satellite technology the council has been able to provide on-the-spot information at bus stops about when buses are due, and has made that information available through its transport website: http://www.citytransport.org.uk