Seoul-Gyeonggi Metropolitan Bus Increase Plan Conflict

Gyeonggi Province announced on the 25th that Seoul City has notified its refusal to accept the metropolitan bus route increase plan for Seoul-Gyeonggi routes that was recently decided by the Metropolitan Transportation Union through a vote.

The Metropolitan Transportation Union's Metropolitan Bus Business Planning Adjustment Committee, which handles issues regarding bus routes and increases in the Seoul metropolitan area including Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon, held a meeting on the 3rd and decided to accept 8 out of 11 bus route increase proposals requested by Gyeonggi Province.

Accordingly, the province decided to increase service on the following routes: No. 5000 (Gwanghwamun~Myongji University, Yongin), No. 5003 (Gangnam Station~Myongji University, Yongin), No. 7000 (Sadang-dong~Youngtong, Suwon), No. 7780 (Sadang-dong~Pyeongdong, Suwon), No. 1000 (Gwanghwamun~Uijeongbu), No. 1115-7 (Jamsil Station~Namyangju), No. 1117 (Jamsil~Namyangju), and No. 1200 (Seoul~Tanhyeon, Goyang).

However, Seoul City on the 12th reversed this decision and filed an objection to all routes except No. 1200, putting the bus route increase agreement at risk of falling apart, according to a provincial official.

Seoul City's position is reportedly that increasing bus routes would lead to anticipated traffic congestion due to limited road traffic capacity.

In response, a provincial official stated, "It is incomprehensible to later reject a decision made through a vote at the transportation union," and said "We plan to raise the issue with the Metropolitan Transportation Union, and if it is not accepted, we will file for mediation with the Ministry of Construction and Transportation."