Mayor Heo Seong-mu: "We will make the city the best in the nation for public transportation"... 'Changwon-type' quasi-public operation system starts from September 1

Mayor Heo Seong-mu of Changwon City, Gyeongnam, is explaining the 'Changwon-type quasi-public city bus system.' Photo by Sanghyun Lee lsh2055@

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Sang-hyun] "If Changwon city buses were known for unfriendliness, non-stop service, and dissatisfaction, from now on, friendliness, safety, and punctuality will represent Changwon city buses."

On the 30th, Changwon Mayor Heo Seong-mu said this at City Hall ahead of the implementation of the 'Changwon-type City Bus Semi-Public Operation System.'

The 'Changwon-type City Bus Semi-Public Operation System' is one of the pledges Mayor Heo strongly pushed from the early days of his term.

The city viewed the fundamental causes of the endlessly raised city bus complaints as the existing joint dispatch system lacking responsibility and fare competition centered on profitable routes, and promoted the semi-public operation system as a way to eradicate these issues.

In the process, they identified and improved problems that occurred in other cities and provinces that had already implemented the semi-public operation system, and the core of the 'Changwon-type' system is public interest, transparency, efficiency, and service improvement.

First, by converting the joint dispatch system to an individual route system, each company will be responsible for specific routes, ensuring clear accountability. It is expected that the skill level of transportation workers will improve, reducing the risks of speeding and reckless driving to maintain punctual arrivals.

The salaries of company CEOs, which had been hidden behind closed doors, will be limited to 95 million KRW annually, comparable to executives of other public institutions, and frozen for the first three years. Additionally, if a serious misconduct is detected even once, the corresponding transportation operator will be immediately expelled.

To improve transparency in cash revenue management, joint cash offices will be established by region, and CCTV installation will be expanded to prevent any untoward incidents.

Along with this, a bus integrated management system will be built to efficiently handle revenue settlement processes, supporting one-stop operation and settlement.

To prepare for the unstable retirement of transportation workers, the previously disorganized retirement allowance system operated by each company will be improved to a DC (Defined Contribution) system.

Finally, by introducing service evaluations, operators receiving good evaluations can earn more profits, and through the implementation of a three-strike-out system for transportation workers, those who violate legal obligations three or more times a year will be immediately expelled.

Mayor Heo expressed his ambition at the meeting, saying, "Starting with the semi-public operation system, we will make Changwon the city with the best public transportation nationwide."

Meanwhile, considering potential problems that may arise after the implementation of the semi-public operation system, it was agreed that the agreement will be improved and renewed every five years.

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