On February 25, Konan Bus (Fujino, Hirosaki City) will start operating the regionally linked transportation IC card "MegoICa."

"MegoICa" is an IC card issued by Konan Bus, and in addition to the "Suica" function, it is equipped with unique transportation points and commuter pass functions. The origin of the name "MegoICa" is the Tsugaru word "megogareru", which means "loved". It was named with the wish that "I want it to be an IC card that can be confused." According to the person in charge of Konan Bus, nearly 800 applications were submitted for the name solicitation conducted on the official website, and 60% to 70% of them were related to dialects. The surface of the card is designed in pink, which is inspired by Mt. Iwaki dyed in the setting sun.

There are two types of "MegoICa": registered and anonymous. By registering personal information, the registered card can be applied to children's rates or set as a card for students. It also has a traffic point acquisition function that allows you to receive benefits such as ride services. With the start of operation of "MegoICa", the existing coupon tickets and round-trip tickets will be abolished. When purchasing "MegoICa", a deposit of 500 yen is paid, and it is possible to charge 1,000 yen to 20,000 yen.

It can be used on all routes of Konan Bus and 10 card areas such as "Suica", "PASMO", and "Kitaca". Suica and Pasmo can also be used on the Konan Bus. A card reader is installed at the bus entrance. Passengers can pay the fare by swiping the card when getting on and off the bus.

There are four places to purchase tickets: Hirosaki Bus Terminal (in front of the station), Aomori General Information Center (Aomori City), Kuroishi Station Information Center (Kuroishi City), and Goshogawara Station Information Center (Goshogawara City). Charges can be made at convenience stores with the Suica mark, Seven Bank ATMs, bus sales offices, and automatic ticket vending machines with the "IC" mark.

The same person in charge of Konan Bus said, "We would like elderly passengers to use this service because it eliminates the need to take out coins while the bus is shaking."