Mayor Heo Seong-mu: "Reducing the Risk of Reckless Driving Accidents"... Changwon City Bus Semi-Public Operation System Starts September 1

On July 26th, at Changwon City Hall, participants are holding the agreement document and taking a commemorative photo during the 'Changwon City Public Bus Semi-Public Operation System Implementation Agreement Ceremony.'
[Photo by Changwon City]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Woo Jong-wook] City buses in Changwon, Gyeongnam will implement a quasi-public operation system starting September 1.

Changwon City announced on the 19th that, in line with the implementation of the quasi-public operation system, it will switch from a joint dispatch system to an individual route system for 689 buses on 138 city bus routes within the city.

As a result, the joint dispatch system, which had been maintained for 45 years since 1976, will disappear into history.

Changwon is a metropolitan city with a population of over 1.03 million. However, without a subway system, city buses are the only means of public transportation.

Changwon City has been providing more than 40 billion KRW annually to local city bus companies as subsidies for deficits on unprofitable routes and free transfer subsidies. Nevertheless, citizen dissatisfaction remains high due to reckless driving, irregular dispatching, and unfriendly bus drivers.

The city bus industry also complains of management difficulties despite receiving subsidies, saying "it is hard to operate the company." The city plans to guarantee appropriate profits to bus companies while strengthening their responsibility for route operation by reducing reckless driving, cancellations, and public transportation blind spots.

First, Changwon City will hold the authority to adjust routes, while bus companies will be responsible for operation and labor management. All nine city bus companies in Changwon will participate in the quasi-public operation system.

The operation method will change from a joint dispatch system to an individual route system. Currently, the route operation method is a joint dispatch system where Changwon city bus companies take turns operating individual routes.

Since 1976, when five city bus companies signed a joint transportation agreement, the joint dispatch system has continued for over 40 years. From September 1, most routes will be switched to an individual route system where one city bus company is in charge of each route.

With one company responsible for a route, accountability will increase and route operation can be specialized. The distinction between profitable and unprofitable routes becomes meaningless due to joint management of revenue. The annual transportation revenue of Changwon city buses is about 10 billion KRW.

Until now, the nine companies managed cash income separately. However, from September 1, joint collection by region will be implemented. The city bus companies will jointly collect and manage cash revenue divided into Changwon area (3 companies), Masan area (5 companies), and Jinhae area (1 company).

The city expects that the budget burden will slightly increase with the implementation of the quasi-public operation system, especially as the number of city bus passengers has decreased due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. In the second half of 2022, the city plans to completely reorganize city bus routes to complete the public transportation innovation.

Mayor Heo Seong-mu of Changwon said, "With the transition to an individual route system aligned with the promotion of the quasi-public operation system for city buses, the public transportation system will transform from a supplier-centered to a demand-centered system," adding, "We will continuously establish a citizen-centered public transportation system that enhances safety, punctuality, and convenience."

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