Seongji Kwon, Seoul City Council Member, Lays Foundation for Realizing Seoul Bicycle Registration System

Ineffective Bicycle Registration System Operated by Only 3 Districts (Gangdong-gu, Yangcheon-gu, Nowon-gu)... Most of the 5,244 Bicycle Parking Facilities Have Become Abandoned Bicycle Storage Sites

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] The realization of the bicycle registration system has become more feasible.

Jeong Ji-gwon, a member of the Seoul Metropolitan Council (Democratic Party, Seongdong 2), announced that he proposed the "Partial Amendment to the Seoul Metropolitan Bicycle Use Activation Ordinance" to raise awareness of the seriousness of abandoned bicycles and to regularly manage bicycle parking facilities in urban areas through the realization of the bicycle registration system. The proposal passed the relevant standing committee held in April.

This amendment aims to have Seoul, which has been indifferent to bicycle registration until now, systematically manage bicycles. Seoul is to establish plans related to bicycle registration and strive to build a registration system, while also specifying that inspections and maintenance of bicycle parking facilities must be conducted at least once a year.

In reality, most Koreans do not know that they can register their personally owned bicycles, not public bicycles (Ddareungi), with the city or district offices. Among Seoul’s autonomous districts, only three?Gangdong-gu, Yangcheon-gu, and Nowon-gu?operate a registration system, and even these are merely formalities.

The biggest reason for the need for bicycle registration is the issue of abandoned bicycles left in bicycle parking facilities, which spoil the urban landscape and infringe on pedestrian rights.

To dispose of abandoned bicycles in parking facilities, the law requires notifying the bicycle owner in writing before disposal. However, most abandoned bicycles are unregistered, making it impossible to notify the owners and thus preventing disposal.

Through this ordinance amendment, Seoul has established a basis to reflect the budget necessary for improving bicycle parking facilities and bicycle registration. Based on this, it is expected that activating bicycle registration will enable efficient responses to bicycle abandonment and theft, contributing to systematic management.

Councilor Jeong Ji-gwon stated, “This ordinance amendment has laid the foundation to effectively address bicycle abandonment and theft by realizing bicycle registration.”

He urged Seoul to promptly establish and implement related plans and to simultaneously organize abandoned bicycles that spoil the urban landscape and cause inconvenience to citizens’ walking.

The partial amendment to the Seoul Metropolitan Bicycle Use Activation Ordinance, which passed the relevant standing committee, is scheduled for approval at the Seoul Metropolitan Council plenary session on April 29. After submission, it will go through the ordinance and regulation review committee before being made public.

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