Gyeonggi to offer nationwide public transit discount card

Gyeonggi will offer its own unlimited nationwide transit discount program starting in May. “The Gyeonggi Pass” service will reimburse its users a certain amount of monthly public transportation expenditure.

The Gyeonggi Provincial Government's public transportation reimbursement program ″The Gyeonggi Pass″ will roll out with the Land Ministry's ″K-pass″ in May. [THE GYEONGGI PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT]

Gyeonggi will offer its own unlimited nationwide transit discount program starting in May.

According to the provincial government on Sunday, “The Gyeonggi Pass” service will reimburse its users a certain amount of public transportation expenditure each month.

The Gyeonggi Pass follows Seoul's “Climate Card” and the Land Ministry's “K-pass” to encourage public transit use.

The Gyeonggi Pass will be offered in conjunction with the K-pass by offering benefits on top of the Land Ministry's card.

The Gyeonggi Pass users between 19 and 39 can receive a 30 percent refund for unlimited rides. Other age groups can enjoy a 20 percent refund for unlimited rides.

For example, if a 38-year-old commuter takes the intercity bus from Suwon, Gyeonggi, to Seoul 40 times a month, he can receive a refund of 33,600 won ($25) — 30 percent of his monthly transportation cost of 112,000 won.

The K-pass limits reimbursement benefits to 60 rides. Only young adults between 19 and 34 can receive the 30 percent reimbursement, while everyone else gets a 20 percent refund.

Low-income The Gyeonggi Pass and K-pass users can receive a 53 percent reimbursement.

The Gyeonggi Pass will feature more extensive benefits than Seoul’s Climate Card.

Public transportation passengers wait in a queue to ride intercity buses heading to Gyeonggi at a bus station in central Seoul in January. [NEWS1]

The Climate Card — a monthly prepaid unlimited transit pass — limits the benefits to intracity public transportation. It excludes intercity buses and the Shinbundang Line connecting Gyeonggi and Seoul.

The Gyeonggi Pass encompasses intercity buses, the Shinbundang Line, and the Great Train Express (GTX), which will begin service in March.

Once the pass is registered, the refund will be automatically calculated and reimbursed to the users each month.

The provincial government also plans to provide minors ineligible for the K-pass with a 240,000 won monthly transportation stipend.

The Gyeonggi Pass excludes express buses and high-speed trains such as the KTX and SRT.

“The Gyeonggi Pass offers nationwide transportation support for its users, benefitting Gyeonggi residents the most,” said Kim Sang-su, the head of the provincial government's transportation bureau.

“The provincial government will cooperate with the Land Ministry so that the K-pass and The Gyeonggi Pass can begin service together in May,” Kim added.

The Gyeonggi Pass was initially set to roll out in July. However, the Land Ministry’s decision to advance the K-pass start date to May impacted the provincial government's schedule.

BY CHOI MO-RAN, LEE SOO-JUNG [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]