Gimpo to adopt Seoul's 'Climate Card' unlimited transit pass

People who primarily use the suffocatingly crowded Gimpo Goldline subway to commute to Seoul can pay 65,000 ($48) to 70,000 won a month to have unlimited access to public transportation in Seoul.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, right, and Gimpo Mayor Kim Byung-soo holds up the climate card that allows unlimited access to public transportation including the city bicycle at the Seoul city government office in Seoul on Thursday. [YONHAP]

The city of Gimpo, Gyeonggi, will adopt Seoul's unlimited transit passes starting next year.

A suburb of Seoul, Gimpo aspires to eventually merge with the capital city.

Seoul's unlimited transit pass, dubbed the “Climate Card,” is expected to relieve Gimpo's notoriously overcrowded subway line.

Gimpo is the second city to adopt the Seoul transit pass system after Incheon last month.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Gimpo Mayor Kim Byung-soo met at Seoul City Hall on Thursday, where they reached an agreement to adopt the Climate Card.

The two cities are currently discussing two different monthly passes.

Gimpo residents will be able to choose between two payment options.

People who primarily use the suffocatingly crowded Gimpo Goldline subway to commute to Seoul can pay 65,000 ($48) to 70,000 won a month.

Residents using express buses to commute can pay 100,000 to 120,000 won for a monthly pass.

Gimpo and Seoul's city governments believe commuting from Gimpo is a financial burden, especially by express bus.

A one-way trip from Gimpo to Seoul by express bus costs 2,900 won.

Gimpo's city government estimated that a person who commutes to Seoul by express bus on weekdays pays 116,000 won a month for transportation.

The burden rises if they shop or relax in Seoul on weekends, too.

An unlimited monthly pass for Seoul's transportation network would significantly reduce the burden on Gimpo residents.

According to Seoul's city government, roughly 85,000 Gimpo residents use public transportation to commute daily.

More than half, or 44,000, commute using Seoul's public transportation network — 30,000 on the Gimpo Goldline and 14,000 on express buses.

Seoul's city government announced its plan to introduce the unlimited pass in September.

The transit pass will undergo a five-month trial next year before coming into full-scale use in the second half of the year.

For a monthly payment of 65,000 won, Seoulites will have unlimited access to public transportation, including buses, subways and even public bicycles.

The card aims to ease transportation costs for Seoul residents and contribute to the environment by reducing carbon emissions.

The Seoul city government estimates the card will save commuters 340,000 won annually.

The city government also expects to reduce city traffic by 13,000 vehicles and cut annual greenhouse emissions by 32,000 tonnes.

“With Gimpo participating in the Climate Card program, we have taken the first step of joint efforts to improve traffic convenience between Seoul and neighboring Gimpo,” Seoul Mayor Oh said. “We expect this agreement will contribute significantly to making transportation more convenient for residents of the greater Seoul area.”

He added, “We will continue to offer a variety of transportation conveniences by expanding our cooperation with other neighboring cities in the greater Seoul area with the Climate Card.”

BY LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]