Preventing 'Commute Hell' in New Towns... Special Measures to Be Established if Projects Are Delayed

A bus company garage in Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Jiwon] The government has introduced alternative measures to prevent residents from experiencing inconveniences in commuting due to delays in metropolitan transportation improvement plans in new towns.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced that the enforcement decree of the "Special Act on Metropolitan Transportation Management (hereinafter referred to as the Metropolitan Transportation Act)," which includes the establishment of designation criteria and procedures for metropolitan transportation special plan zones, passed the Cabinet meeting on the 8th.

According to the enforcement decree, if the metropolitan transportation improvement plan established due to large-scale development projects such as new towns is delayed, a metropolitan transportation special plan can be established and implemented through the designation of a metropolitan transportation special plan zone.

If residents have already moved into the new town or are scheduled to move in within one year, but the implementation and execution rate of the metropolitan transportation improvement plan is less than 50%, the area can be designated as a special plan zone. The same applies if railway projects are delayed by more than one year.

The designation period for the special plan zone is set to be within an initial three years, and it can be extended up to three years based on whether the criteria are met at the expiration date.

When establishing special plans according to the zone designation, annual operation and construction/management plans must be prepared together to ensure the effectiveness of the measures.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has also expanded the scope of use for the metropolitan transportation facility charge.

Until now, the metropolitan transportation facility charge could only be used for metropolitan transportation-related facilities such as metropolitan roads and railways, making it difficult to sufficiently support the operation of some metropolitan bus routes that lack profitability.

However, with this revision, the scope of use for the charge has been expanded, allowing support to ensure that metropolitan bus services can be provided sufficiently and stably in the future.

In particular, the charge can now be used for various facilities that improve convenience for users and transportation workers, such as transfer stops, bus turnaround facilities, and rest areas for transportation workers.

Ji Jongcheol, Director of Metropolitan Transportation Policy at the Metropolitan Transportation Committee, said, "Through this enforcement decree revision, we expect it to greatly contribute to resolving residents' transportation inconveniences caused by delays in metropolitan transportation improvement plans and to the stable and smooth operation of metropolitan buses."

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