Circular 'Incheon e-eum Bus' for Traffic-Vulnerable Areas to Launch in November... 18 Routes

Full Revamp of City Bus Routes on December 31
83 Routes Changed and 25 Discontinued out of 197
Phased Introduction of I-MOD (Demand-Responsive Bus)

Incheon e-Eum Bus Image [Provided by Incheon City]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] A community-oriented circular bus service will open next month, focusing on the back alleys of Incheon’s original downtown and newly developed areas.

Incheon City announced on the 3rd that the 'Incheon e-eum Bus,' a community-oriented circular bus initially planned to launch on December 31, the date of the city bus route reorganization, will begin operation from November.

With the abolition of the city bus limited license at the end of the year and integration into the quasi-public operation system, six companies will operate the Incheon e-eum Bus.

The Incheon e-eum Bus will operate 42 medium-sized buses with 15 to 25 seats across 18 routes. It will provide transportation convenience to socially vulnerable groups, students, and housewives by connecting subway stations, industrial complexes, markets, and schools, focusing on public transportation vulnerable areas such as the back alleys of the original downtown and newly developed areas.

The number of routes (number of vehicles deployed) by district for the Incheon e-eum Bus is as follows: Jung-gu 4 (7), Ongjin-gun 1 (2), Dong-gu 2 (4), Michuhol-gu 1 (4), Yeonsu-gu 1 (4), Namdong-gu 2 (6), Bupyeong-gu 1 (2), Gyeyang-gu 1 (2), Seo-gu 5 (11).

An Incheon city official stated, "In line with the purpose of 'realizing transportation welfare,' we decided to deploy the Incheon e-eum Bus early to minimize inconvenience to citizens," adding, "The order has already been placed with the vehicle manufacturer, and the service will open as soon as the vehicles are delivered."

Meanwhile, Incheon City plans to increase the total number of city bus routes reorganized at the end of this year from 197 to 203.

Among the existing 197 routes, 89 will remain unchanged, 83 routes will be partially modified, and 25 routes will be abolished. In place of these, 13 new main and branch routes and 18 Incheon e-eum Bus routes will be established.

Through the route reorganization, the city plans to gradually introduce I-MOD (on-demand buses) to public transportation vulnerable areas after next year, alongside the operation of the Incheon e-eum Bus.

I-MOD is a system where passengers call a bus via an app, and the bus dynamically adjusts its route in real-time to quickly reach the nearest stop where the passenger is waiting. In Yeongjong International City, eight 16-seat vehicles were pilot-operated from December last year to March this year.

During the pilot operation, 12% of Yeongjong International City’s population, 12,045 people, used I-MOD 28,800 times, resulting in reductions of 5 minutes in public transportation waiting time and 9 minutes in travel time.

The Incheon city bus route reorganization plan will be finalized at the Bus Policy Committee meeting held this month.

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