"Driving Nonstop for 5 Hours... I Want to Work Like a Human" Seoul City Bus Driver's Cheong Petition

A bus driver walking away from the bus in the garage. Not directly related to the driver.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Soyoung] A Seoul city bus driver posted a petition on the Blue House National Petition Board asking for the cancellation of a route extension, saying he has to drive for 5 hours straight without rest. The driver appealed, saying he cannot even properly use the restroom.

On the 29th, a petition titled "I am a Seoul city bus driver" was posted on the petition board. The post was made on the 16th of last month and will close on the 16th of next month.

The petitioner, who introduced himself as a "Seoul bus transportation worker serving as the feet of Eunpyeong-gu residents," explained the background of the petition, saying, "I wrote this because I am very tired and distressed by the 'hasty administration' carried out under the pretext of 'Seoul City's administrative order.'"

The petitioner confessed, "'Long-distance routes' are more tiring to drive than other routes even without driving the bus, and it is difficult to guarantee rest time, making it hard for workers to work under comfortable conditions in many ways."

A petition demanding the cancellation of Seoul City's administrative order to extend the bus route. Photo by Cheongwadae National Petition Board capture

He claimed, "Seoul City unilaterally extended this already poor working condition long-distance route by 10 km without any measures under an administrative order."

He added, "Some people might think, 'What's the big deal about extending it by just 10 km?' But originally, the route took 3 hours, and now it takes 5 hours. Due to frequent traffic congestion in Seoul city, sometimes we are stuck on the road indefinitely," he explained.

The petitioner said, "Still, this is my livelihood, and both I and my fellow drivers have been enduring and working hard just like everyone else perseveres in their jobs," adding, "But without any alternatives and without reasonable prior procedures, the outdated and hasty administrative order from Seoul City has caused all the damage to fall on us drivers and the residents of Eunpyeong-gu."

He said, "You might ask, 'Isn't this because you want it to be easier for yourselves?' Yes, everyone, we want it to be easier. I dare say that our rest time and working conditions are directly connected to the lives and safety of the passengers riding our buses," he said.

He then asked the high-ranking officials who decided on the route extension, "When we are out on the road for over 5 hours, does the city protect our basic human rights like restroom access?" emphasizing, "Even if we are uneducated drivers, we want to work like human beings, not like emperors."

He also said, "Due to the route extension, the intervals between buses have increased, leading to more complaints from citizens asking, 'Why is it so late?'" and questioned, "Why should I receive such complaints because of the wrong decisions made by high-ranking officials?"

Finally, he appealed, "Please do not just issue orders so that we can work humanely and rest comfortably after night shifts, but also provide alternatives," and "Please cancel the administrative order to minimize inconvenience to citizens and to guarantee the working conditions and basic rights of us workers. I ask you sincerely."

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