By 2030, 55 BRT Lines to Be Established Nationwide... Travel Time Reduction

Establishment of 25 Routes in the Capital Area and 30 Routes in Non-Capital Areas
Significant Reduction in Travel Time on Major Arterial Roads
Increase in Eco-Friendly Vehicle Ratio and Full-Scale Introduction of S-BRT

The government will add 55 BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) lines nationwide by 2030. BRT will be actively introduced to improve transportation environments even in non-metropolitan areas such as Cheonan and Jeonju. Additionally, the share of eco-friendly vehicles, currently only 0.04%, will be increased to 50%, and the introduction of premium BRT, called S-BRT, will be accelerated.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Metropolitan Area Wide-area Transportation Committee (hereinafter referred to as the MAWTC) announced on the 3rd that it has finalized the "Comprehensive Plan Revision for Bus Rapid Transit System (2021?2030)" after committee deliberation to systematically establish BRT.

BRT refers to a transportation system that operates buses on dedicated lanes and facilities such as stations for rapid transit. The comprehensive plan released this time is a legally mandated 10-year plan established under the "Special Act on the Construction and Operation of Bus Rapid Transit Systems."

Originally, the first plan was established for 2018?2027, but this revision plan was prepared to reflect changes in metropolitan transportation conditions that emerged after the first plan, such as the development of the 3rd New Towns and the promotion of GTX (Great Train Express).

According to the comprehensive plan, the government will expand the BRT construction project nationwide. By 2030, 55 BRT lines will be established across the country. As a result, the total number of BRT lines nationwide will increase more than threefold, from 26 to 81.

In the metropolitan area, 25 lines were selected focusing on major wide-area trunk routes connecting key points such as GTX and new towns, while in non-metropolitan areas, 30 lines were selected mainly on routes serving as urban trunk axes for local governments.

In particular, regions outside metropolitan areas such as Cheonan, Jeonju, and Jeju were included in the BRT construction plan considering the necessity of BRT construction. Among the 55 lines, 26 lines will be constructed and operated by 2025 at the latest as the first phase.

Furthermore, the transition of BRT vehicles to eco-friendly vehicles will be promoted, increasing the share of electric and hydrogen vehicles from 0.04% last year to 50% by 2030. To this end, the deployment of eco-friendly large-capacity vehicles such as electric articulated buses will be expanded, and transfer facilities equipped with hydrogen and electric charging infrastructure will be established at BRT terminals and key stations.

The introduction of premium BRT, S-BRT, which offers subway-level punctuality and speed through dedicated lanes and priority signals, will be actively pursued. The Changwon S-BRT pilot project is scheduled to open by 2023, and the Seongnam S-BRT by 2025.

By 2024, a foundation for commercial autonomous driving services will be established, enabling the operation of five or more autonomous BRT lines by 2030. Transfer and charging facilities for transportation modes such as electric kickboards and bicycles will be built at major BRT stations to enhance BRT accessibility.

Once this revision plan is completed, BRT lines will expand more than threefold, and bus travel times on major trunk roads in metropolitan areas are expected to be reduced by 30%, leading to a revolutionary improvement in public transportation services on major metropolitan trunk roads.

Kim Hyo-jung, Director of Metropolitan Transportation Operations at MAWTC, said, "BRT provides services comparable to urban rail in terms of travel speed and punctuality, yet its construction cost is less than one-tenth and operating cost is one-seventh of that of subways, making it a highly cost-effective public transportation mode." He added, "We will diligently pursue key policy tasks to make BRT a public transportation mode preferred by more citizens."

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