Bus operators in Japan will start testing cashless-only services in November.

The trial comes after the Transport Ministry revised the rules and approved running of buses that only accept cashless payments.

The trial will take place on 29 routes serviced by 18 bus operators in 13 prefectures, including Tokyo, and will run until March next year.

The companies will monitor changes to the convenience of passengers and the workload of their staff, and also discuss what to do about passengers who only have cash.

Japan's bus companies are increasingly struggling as the country's declining population cuts into customer numbers and makes it harder to find drivers. An industry group has been lobbying for cashless services as one way to ease the burden on operators.