Full Service Launch of 'Gyeonggi Bus Call Bell' Across All City Buses Starting in March

[Suwon Ilbo=Park No-hun Reporter] Gyeonggi Province announced on the 24th that it will formally launch the 'Gyeonggi Bus Call Bell' service starting in March this year, the nation's first service that prevents buses from passing without stopping by notifying bus drivers in advance of passenger boarding information waiting at stops.

The 'Gyeonggi Bus Call Bell' is a new concept public transportation information service that, in contrast to the 'stop bell' used to signal intent to get off, notifies bus drivers of the relevant route in advance that passengers are waiting at the stop.

The service target is all city bus routes in Gyeonggi Province.

When a passenger at a stop searches for the desired boarding route on the 'Gyeonggi Bus Info' app and presses the 'Call Bell' button, a call bell (audio and graphic) sounds on the terminal installed in the driver's seat, informing the driver that passengers are waiting.

In particular, location-based technology that operates only within a 100-meter radius of the desired boarding stop has been applied to ensure information reliability and prevent confusion between passengers and drivers.

In addition, considering the time required for information transmission and driver recognition, the call bell can only be used when applied for before arrival at the stop preceding the desired boarding stop.

The call bell can only be requested once, and if a passenger wishes to board a different bus, they can cancel the existing call bell and reapply.

Additionally, a 'non-stop report' service is provided that allows passengers to easily report via smartphone app if a bus requested through the call bell passes without stopping. The app also allows text size adjustment in three levels to make it convenient for transportation-disadvantaged users such as those with low vision or elderly passengers.

With the introduction of this service, passenger safety during boarding is expected to be supported and inconveniences from buses not stopping are expected to decrease dramatically. The service is anticipated to be particularly useful at quiet outer stops and during late night hours.

Going forward, the province plans to expand the service to intercity and village buses after assessing implementation effects.

Additionally, considering users who have difficulty using smartphones, the province plans to pursue support measures for installing 'stop call bells' at offline stops by coordinating systems with cities and counties to enable service use even at physical stops.

Kim Yong-beom, head of the Transportation Information Division, said, "This formal service launch will help prevent buses from passing without stopping and provide safer boarding," and "We will provide a smart boarding support service where 'passengers and drivers communicate bidirectionally' through stable system operations going forward."