M-Bus Expansion to Regional University Cities, Early Execution of Metropolitan Transportation Infrastructure Budget

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] The metropolitan express bus (M-bus), which operated only within the Seoul metropolitan area, will be expanded to major local metropolitan areas.

Following the full-scale promotion of the 'Metropolitan Transportation 2030' announced last year, short-term measures such as the expansion of the metropolitan discount transportation card and improvement of metropolitan bus services have been prepared.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 17th that it held the 1st Metropolitan Transportation Committee meeting of 2020 in writing from the 25th of last month to the 13th, confirming this year's work plan. The ministry will invest 669 billion KRW, a 47% increase from last year, in metropolitan transportation infrastructure expansion this year. It will execute 250.3 billion KRW (37%) in the first quarter and a total of 479.9 billion KRW (71%) in the first half of the year ahead of schedule.

◆ Innovation in Metropolitan Bus Services = The M-bus will be expanded to major local metropolitan areas, and the number of M-bus routes will increase from 35 to 44, focusing on new towns and areas with high congestion and transportation inconvenience. Along with support projects for additional buses and increased frequency (26 buses) to alleviate congestion during commuting hours and improve convenience, the number of M-bus reservation routes will expand from 8 to 20.

The quasi-public metropolitan bus system will pilot nine routes connecting high-demand areas and downtown from the second half of this year.

To transition to eco-friendly public transportation, 20 Korean-style double-decker electric buses, which produce no fine dust or air pollution, will be supplied on congested routes by the second half of this year. The goal is to expand the eco-friendly bus supply rate to 95% by the end of this year.

The metropolitan discount transportation card project, actively participated in by young people who heavily rely on public transportation, will be expanded to 13 major cities and provinces nationwide and 101 cities, counties, and districts. The number of users will increase from 20,000 last year to 70,000 this year.

Along with expanding mileage benefits for low-income youth, a pilot project for transportation demand charge deductions will be promoted in the first half of the year, and institutional improvements for user convenience, such as introducing mobile payment within the year, will be pursued. The mileage limit per public transportation fare will increase from 250?450 KRW to 350?650 KRW per trip.

Various fare systems such as discount tickets and season tickets will be introduced according to usage period, time, and user characteristics such as students and workers, and a plan to reform the public transportation fare system linked with shared mobility will be prepared within the year.

◆ Metropolitan Transportation Infrastructure Construction = A metropolitan transportation network centered on railroads such as metropolitan and urban railroads and trams will also be established. The metropolitan railroad will improve railroad services in the eastern metropolitan area by opening the Hanam Line (extension of Seoul Subway Line 5, 7.7 km) as scheduled in December this year. The extension project of Seoul Subway Line 7 from Dobongsan to Okjeong will begin construction in the first half of the year, and the basic plan for Okjeong to Pocheon will also start in the first half, proceeding without delay.

Urban railroads will open the Incheon Line 1 extension to Songdo (7.4 km) within the year, and construction of the extension to Geomdan (6.9 km) will begin in the first half. Urban railroad projects in local metropolitan areas such as Gwangju Line 2 and Yangsan Urban Railroad will proceed smoothly, and tram projects including the basic plan for Daejeon Line 2 and Wirye New Town tram will be put on track.

Two metropolitan road projects, Daejeon Sanseong-Gurye (1.0 km) and Gyeryong Sindoan-Daejeon Sedong (2.0 km), will be completed by December, and four metropolitan road projects?Seodaejeon IC-Dugae 3-ga (5.5 km, April), Dasan-Waegwan (9.6 km, June), Incheon Geocheomdo-Yakamri (6.4 km, October), and Chojung-Hwamyeong (3.6 km, December)?will begin construction within the year.

A convenient connection and transfer system centered on transfer centers will be established to provide comfortable metropolitan transportation services to users. Construction of major regional transfer centers will begin, and preliminary feasibility studies for major metropolitan transfer centers such as Cheonggyesan Entrance Station, DMC Station, and Gangil Station will be completed by August, advancing the full-scale transfer center construction project.

In particular, plans to build transfer centers at key stations where GTX lines intersect and multiple railroad lines connect, such as Seoul Station and Cheongnyangni Station, will be prepared to enhance convenience in connecting transportation and foster balanced development by nurturing the Gangbuk area as an economic hub.

To activate shared mobility, guidelines presenting installation standards for shared mobility infrastructure such as storage racks and charging stations will be prepared by November, and accessibility will be evaluated when installing transfer facilities.

New public transportation operation systems such as S-BRT and high-speed BTX will strengthen the punctuality of metropolitan public transportation. S-BRT will be introduced as a GTX-linked transfer means for the 3rd new towns such as Gyeyang and Daejang and as an urban trunk transportation means for regional hub cities like Changwon. Sejong BRT will be upgraded with articulated buses, advanced stations, and priority signals.

The BTX project, which secures high-speed mobility through dedicated lanes on major trunk roads and transfer facilities linked to terminals, will prepare promotion plans by August through feasibility analysis of pilot routes such as the east-west axis of the metropolitan area.

Furthermore, an integrated transportation system linking urban railroads, trams, BRT (Bus Rapid Transit), and buses centered on transfer centers will be established within the year to shorten access times to key stations and expand GTX beneficiary areas.

Jeon Hyung-pil, Director of the Metropolitan Transportation Policy Bureau of the Metropolitan Transportation Committee, said, "From April, we will form a 'Metropolitan Transportation Conflict Mediation Advisory Committee' composed of private experts with extensive knowledge and experience in conflict to manage conflicts," adding, "We will lead changes this year by raising public awareness through both long-term planning and short-term policy and service improvements."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.