Tragic Bus Accident Claims Lives of People in Their 20s, What Happened? [Han Seung-gon's Incident Notebook]

"Stop Reckless Driving by Bus Drivers" Petition Appears on Blue House
Criticism of Bus Company Operations Including Excessive Dispatch System

A woman in her 20s, Ms. A, who was involved in an accident. Photo by JTBC News Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] A passenger who was getting off a city bus tragically died after their arm got caught in the rear door of the bus, sparking growing calls to stop reckless driving by bus drivers. The fact that this disaster could have been prevented has only intensified public outrage.

In particular, since anyone could fall victim to such a tragedy, social criticism of reckless driving by bus drivers is expected to grow even stronger. However, some argue that unless the treatment of drivers, including the unreasonable dispatch system, is improved, accidents like this could happen again.

On the evening of the 19th at around 8:30 PM, a woman in her 20s, identified as Ms. A, was involved in an accident near an elementary school on a road in Beopwon-eup, Paju-si, Gyeonggi Province, where she was caught under a city bus. When rescue workers arrived, Ms. A was severely injured and had already died at the scene.

The cause of the tragedy is believed to be the bus driver's negligence in failing to check whether the passenger had safely disembarked. According to earlier reports, the accident occurred because a thin part of the long padding coat Ms. A was wearing got caught in the rear door sensor, which failed to detect it, causing the bus to depart. However, according to the family and police investigation, it was not the long padding but Ms. A’s arm that was caught in the rear door when the bus started moving.

The bus involved in the accident was an older model and was found to lack sensors on the doors. Newer buses operate with sensors that detect movement on the door steps and use an air pressure system that reopens the door if a person or object is caught. However, the bus in the accident only had a pressure sensor on the footboard, which failed to open the door despite Ms. A’s arm being caught, leading to the tragic outcome.

Moreover, even if the sensor failed to detect Ms. A’s situation, this horrific accident could have been prevented if the bus driver had properly ensured the passenger’s safe disembarkation.

In summary, the accident appears to be a tragedy caused by the combination of the bus’s outdated sensor system and the driver’s careless work attitude. A police official stated, "It seems the passenger reached out to tap the bus card again after it was not read," adding, "We plan to check the card usage records."

A Blue House petition requesting to stop reckless driving by bus drivers. Photo by Blue House petition board capture

◆ "Do Not Start Bus Suddenly" Petition Submitted to the Blue House

Given the circumstances, a petition has been submitted to the Blue House calling for measures to prevent reckless driving by bus drivers. This reflects not only the situation surrounding Ms. A’s accident but also a sudden outburst of dissatisfaction with reckless driving by bus drivers in general.

On the 21st, a petition titled "Stop Reckless Driving by Bus Drivers" was posted. The petitioner urged, "No sudden starts, stop before disembarking, and confirm passengers have safely disembarked before departing. I hope these three bus culture practices will prevent any more tragic victims."

The petitioner pointed out, "I petitioned to legally regulate reckless driving by bus drivers and strengthen penalties. Most bus drivers engage in unsafe driving such as sudden starts, sudden stops, and pressing the door close button prematurely, showing disregard for passenger safety and forgetting its importance."

They continued, "If at least these two traffic laws are enacted and enforced?buses not departing until passengers hold onto handrails and sit down, and not pressing the door close button immediately when passengers disembark?wouldn’t we see significantly fewer bus accidents?" As of 11:30 AM on the 24th, the petition had garnered 11,374 supporters.

Bus Depot. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

◆ Opinion That Reckless Fare Competition and Dispatch System Caused the Tragedy

However, while the direct cause of the accident is the bus driver’s negligence, some believe the root cause lies in the bus company’s operational structure, including the dispatch environment.

A representative from the Gyeonggi Province Bus Transport Association told a media outlet that the driver involved in the accident was rushed by the dispatch schedule and failed to check safety properly, explaining that this situation stems from chronic driver shortages and financial difficulties.

The claim is that this tragedy would not have occurred if working conditions were properly guaranteed. It is explained as an accident arising from structural problems rather than individual driver issues.

Buses are classified as special working hour industries (Article 59 of the Labor Standards Act), allowing drivers to work beyond the legal labor hour limits. As a result, some bus companies have unreasonable long working hour practices, and excessive fare competition among companies leads to an unreasonable dispatch system, which is considered a major cause of serious accidents.

According to the "2018 Report on the Working Conditions and Improvement Directions of Bus Workers" published by the Korean Federation of Automobile Workers' Unions, 70.4% of bus drivers working alternate day shifts in city buses exceed 221 working hours per month, and 80.4% of those working double alternate day shifts exceed 221 hours monthly. A significant number also work over 281 hours.

In contrast, about 75% of drivers working two shifts per day in city buses work less than 220 hours per month, with no one exceeding 281 hours.

According to the Korea Transport Institute, the death rate per 100 buses in South Korea is 0.57, about ten times higher than Japan’s 0.06. In Japan, bus drivers announce departure to passengers before starting and confirm safety after stopping before closing the doors and departing.

The family of Ms. A, who was involved in the accident, pointed out that the bus company’s operational structure needs to change. In an interview with a media outlet, the family said, "Seeing bus stops that haven’t changed even after my sister’s accident makes me angry, frustrated, and somewhat upset," adding, "It’s not just that one driver, but the bus company and our society need to change. Only then will my sister’s death not be in vain."

Meanwhile, the police plan to identify the passengers who were on board at the time to investigate the situation and will also check whether the bus company conducted proper safety inspections.

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