M Buses to Run in Busan and Daegu... Number of Stops Increased from 6 to 8

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] Additional stops can now be installed in the departure areas of metropolitan express buses (M-buses) in Incheon, Gyeonggi, and other regions. Along with this, M-bus operations will be possible not only in the Seoul metropolitan area but also in other major metropolitan areas across the country.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 3rd that it revised the standards for M-bus stops and operating areas on the 26th of last month to include these changes.

Through this revision, the number of stops that could previously be installed within a 7.5 km radius from the starting or ending point was limited to a maximum of six, but now the number of stops at the starting point has increased to eight. This change was made to address the inconvenience faced by residents of large apartment complexes that were built after the M-bus routes were launched, who had to travel long distances to use the bus.

The revision also established a legal basis to expand M-bus operating areas, which were previously limited to the Seoul metropolitan area, to other major metropolitan areas such as Busan-Ulsan, Daegu, Daejeon, and Gwangju. Additionally, considering the characteristic of M-buses having high demand only during commuting hours and low demand at other times, the revision expanded the ratio and provided grounds to adjust the number of trips or buses during weekends, vacation periods, and weekdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

A Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport official stated, "With this revision, it is expected that the commuting time of residents in major metropolitan areas with significant metropolitan transportation inconveniences will be reduced, thereby improving satisfaction with public transportation usage."

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