Suwon Implements '2012 Bus and Taxi Service Evaluation'

Suwon announced on the 1st that it will conduct a 2012 Bus and Taxi Service Evaluation targeting 2,759 city buses and corporate taxis operating in the city through November.

This evaluation is being conducted to establish an advanced transportation culture through substantive and sustainable services that not only foster kindness toward citizens among transportation operators but also capture the hearts of the public.

The evaluation is divided into three categories: on-site evaluation, administrative sanctions, and transportation company service initiatives.

The on-site evaluation involves a citizen evaluation panel boarding vehicles incognito and completing evaluation forms. Administrative sanctions are implemented based on administrative action taken by the city against complaints received through telephone, internet, and other channels by operator. Service initiatives are evaluated based on service measures that transportation companies independently operate this year.

In particular, the on-site evaluation will be conducted by a 15-member evaluation panel composed of members from five nonprofit civil organizations including Suwon YWCA, who will board buses and taxis incognito for six months through the end of October 2012 to conduct evaluations using forms covering 15 items across 5 categories.

The city plans to award outstanding operators and courteous drivers at year-end following the service evaluation results, and will disseminate exemplary cases to each operator for wider publicity.

Additionally, the city will issue improvement orders to underperforming operators and plans to utilize the evaluation results as data for public transportation policy.

A city official stated, "Despite a fare increase adjustment in December of last year, we continue to receive complaints that service has not improved," and added, "We hope that through this service evaluation, an advanced transportation culture will be established based on services that passengers can directly experience."