Seoul mayor envisions transportation makeover this year

Public transportation in Seoul will undergo “groundbreaking” changes this year, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said during his New Year’s press conference at City Hall on Wednesday.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon speaks to reporters during his New Year's press conference at City Hall in downtown Seoul on Wednesday. [NEWS1]

Public transportation in Seoul will undergo “groundbreaking” changes this year, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said during his New Year’s press conference at City Hall on Wednesday.

According to Oh, the capital expects substantial transformations in public transportation this year, including the introduction of river buses in September and the launch of the Climate Card, a transit pass offering unlimited rides on subways and buses.

“The Climate Card, which will be launched this year and cover river buses and public bicycles, will take a significant portion of the city government’s agenda this year,” Oh said.

The unlimited transit pass is a welfare measure primarily aimed at those who are economically and socially in need and frequently use public transportation, Oh stressed.

The trial for the Climate Card begins next Tuesday and will run through June.

During the trial, the passes will come in two versions — a 62,000-won ($48) pass for unlimited rides on subways and buses and a 65,000-won pass that also covers the capital’s public bicycles, or Ttareungi. Prices and specific details of the program will be amended according to feedback when the card is officially launched in July.

The pass will be expanded to cover Incheon and Gimpo in the coming months, with the two cities agreeing to join the Climate Card program last year. The capital’s mayor promised to make commuting to Seoul from Gyeonggi as convenient as possible, though there were structural limitations to the province's participation.

In September, river ferries, or "buses," on the Han River taking passengers from Gangseo District to Yeouido in just 30 minutes will be introduced.

The Climate Card will cover the river buses as well.

Oh said that the city government is adjusting bus routes near the river bus stops to improve access to the new riverine transport system.

There are only three subway stations near the river bus stops.

The mayor also noted that public bicycle racks near river bus stops and bicycle stands in river buses will reduce the inconvenience.

Regarding last year's controversial megacity initiative, Oh said discussions to incorporate neighboring cities are ongoing.

However, he stressed that discussing the issue further after the general election in April would be “ideal,” as many people see the matter as a means for the People Power Party to gain votes, obscuring the initiative's significance.

“We are currently in the preparation stage to get into a deeper and more reasonable discussion after the election,” Oh said.

Responding to questions about the traffic chaos that recently stranded commuters taking intercity buses near a Myeong-dong bus stop in downtown Seoul, the mayor said the capital had received too many intercity buses in recent years.

Oh said the city made the “risky choice” of raising the percentage of the nation's intercity buses coming to Seoul from 50 to 60 percent to 70 to 80 percent over the last two years.

To resolve the issue, he said the city government would consider every possible resolution, including transferring bus stops to larger areas and holding further discussions with other local authorities and the government.

“The Seoul Metropolitan Government’s consistent goal when implementing transportation policies is to make commutes for everyone easier, including commuters from other regions like Gyeonggi,” the mayor said.

During the press conference, Oh also highlighted the significance of developing creative industries, including entertainment and media, to boost the country’s economy and make the city more attractive.

He emphasized the capital's role as a public sector entity in supporting the creative industries, which are expected to generate jobs and revive the economy.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]