Marine taxis and amphibious buses to operate in front of Busan's coast and rivers

Busan City Promotes Marine Tourism with Maritime Transport
Plan to Diversify Land Traffic and Boost Marine Tourism
Pilot Routes Introduced for Key Tourist Spots: Suyeonggang, Jagalchi, Osiria

On November 3rd, an amphibious bus test drive event is taking place around the Suyeongman Yacht Marina in Haeundae-gu, Busan. [Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] A project to boost marine tourism by deploying water taxis and amphibious buses on the sea and rivers is being promoted in Busan.

Busan City will complete by the 15th the feasibility study and implementation plan for introducing marine tourism transportation, which began in April, to introduce new marine tourism content for the international tourism city and to alleviate urban traffic congestion.

This project, conducted by Korea Maritime and Ocean University, analyzed the feasibility of introducing water taxis, marine buses, and amphibious buses, and developed route plans linked with land transportation centered on major tourist attractions in Busan.

So far, two interim reports and advisory meetings have been held. Through collecting various expert opinions, the basic plans for feasibility, operation routes, and management methods were drawn. Due to COVID-19, the final report meeting was conducted in writing, and the final plan was derived.

First, ▲the amphibious tour bus prioritized legally operable rivers and lakes, reviewing the profitability index of the Haeundae and Nakdong River routes. The land route was proposed to be about 40 to 50 minutes, and the water section about 20 to 30 minutes.

The profitability index analysis showed that the Nakdong River route would accumulate losses, while the Suyeong River route in Haeundae was proposed as a priority.

▲The marine bus selected the round-trip section from Jagalchi to Osiria Tourist Complex as a pilot section, proposing routes that move through high-demand tourist and transportation areas such as the Marine Museum, Oryukdo, and Yongho Pier, to attract tourists and serve as transportation.

▲The water taxi plans to operate like a taxi centered on terminals where the marine bus stops. Routes such as Jagalchi to Yeongdo Kkangkkangi Village and Jagalchi to Songdo Beach, where marine buses cannot enter, were proposed as pilot projects.

Busan City plans to select operators early next year and will establish a close cooperative system with related organizations such as Busan Port Authority, Busan Coast Guard, Busan Regional Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Office, Busan Tourism Organization, and Busan Urban Corporation to enhance execution by resolving various permits, legal procedures, and other issues.

Byun Sung-wan, Acting Mayor of Busan, said, “It is necessary to develop various tourism contents utilizing Busan’s beautiful marine spaces. Although there were many difficulties due to related laws and profitability issues, feasibility was secured and various routes were proposed in this project.”

Acting Mayor Byun added, “Since this is the first time introducing this project, we will first promote a feasible pilot project, analyze its effects in the future, and expand the project. We will create a successful model for marine transportation and tourism revitalization.”

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