Gyeonggi's Gunpo joins Seoul's Climate Card scheme

The city of Gunpo in Gyeonggi announced on Wednesday that it will join the capital’s Climate Card scheme, an unlimited transit pass that has been in high demand since its launch last week.

A commuter taps in with the Climate Card to enter City Hall Station in downtown Seoul on Monday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The city of Gunpo in Gyeonggi announced on Wednesday that it will join the capital’s Climate Card scheme, an unlimited transit pass that has been in high demand since its launch last week.

Gunpo is the third locality outside the capital to join the scheme, following Incheon and Gimpo in Gyeonggi.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Gunpo Mayor Ha Eun-ho met at City Hall in downtown Seoul on Wednesday, signing an agreement to extend transportation routes covered by the transit card to the southern city of Gyeonggi and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation between the two cities.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, around 149,000 people use public transportation in Gunpo daily, of which about 32,000 — approximately 22 percent — travel between Gunpo and Seoul. The Seoul city government expects Wednesday’s announcement to serve as a starting point for expanding the scheme to more cities in southern Gyeonggi.

After consulting with the state-run train operator Korail, the two cities plan to add seven stations along subway lines No. 1 and 4 in Gunpo, including Geumjeong, Gunpo and Sanbon Station, to the scheme.

All seven stations considered to be covered by the prepaid unlimited transit pass are managed by Korail.

The transit pass already covers six city buses that pass through Gunpo — No. 5530, 5531, 5623, 540, 541 and 542. The inclusion of intercity buses is still in discussion, the city government said.

The pass currently covers subways and city buses in the capital, excluding the Shinbundang Line and intercity buses connecting Seoul and adjacent Gyeonggi and Incheon. Commuters must pay additional fees if they get off at bus stops or subway stations outside of these areas. Exceptionally, no extra fees will be required when getting off at some areas outside of the capital, including subway stations along the Gimpo Goldline and parts of subway lines No. 4, 5 and 7.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, right, and Gunpo Mayor Ha Eun-ho sign an agreement to expand the Climate Card scheme to the southern Gyeonggi city at City Hall in downtown Seoul on Wednesday. [YONHAP]

“Gunpo’s participation in the Climate Card is expected to significantly enhance the transportation convenience for residents in the greater Seoul area,” Oh said.

“Given that the scheme has been launched with great attention by the residents of the greater Seoul area, we will pull out all our efforts so that the residents will experience an innovative transformation of public transportation.”

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, around 280,000 Climate Cards were sold as of Monday after the transit pass went on sale last Tuesday. Around 162,000 commuters used the card on Tuesday, up 14 percent from the previous day.

The city government prepared 200,000 physical cards, but an additional 150,000 passes will be supplied starting next Wednesday due to unexpected demand.

Physical versions of the transit pass can be purchased for 3,000 won ($2.2) in cash from information centers set along subway lines No. 2 to 8 in the capital. Along subway line No. 1, the cards will be sold between Seoul Station in downtown Seoul and Cheongnyangni Station in eastern Seoul.

Users can top up the card at subway platforms, paying either 62,000 won for unlimited rides on subways and buses or 65,000 won to also use the capital’s public bicycles or Ttareungi.

Free mobile versions of the pass are initially available for Android users only on the Mobile Tmoney application.

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