Delivery motorcycles zooming through car-free streets at Jeonnam National University... Citizens sigh

Reckless 'Acrobatic Driving' Among Pedestrians Threatens Walking Rights

Increase in Two-Wheeler Traffic Violations in Gwangju Compared to Last Year

On the afternoon of the 4th, a delivery motorcycle entered the 'Car-Free Street' near the back gate of Chonnam National University in Buk-gu, Gwangju, weaving through the crowd of citizens.

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Cho Hyung-joo] The ‘Chonnam National University Car-Free Street,’ designated for the safety of students, has recently been suffering due to delivery motorcycles.

Recently, with the noticeable increase in delivery motorcycle riders due to COVID-19 and the rise in their traffic violations, concerns have been raised that citizens’ safety is being threatened.

According to Buk-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, and the Gwangju Police Agency on the 5th, a section of the back gate area of Chonnam National University was designated as a ‘car-free street’ in March 2017.

The two sections include a 200m stretch from Hollys Coffee to Bareun Chicken and a 230m stretch from Paris Baguette to the 7-Eleven convenience store, totaling 430m, where the restriction applies from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Although designated for the safety of students and citizens who frequently use these sections, nearby residents explain that recently delivery motorcycles passing through here have caused many dangerous situations.

In fact, around 8 p.m. that day, it was easy to see motorcycles speeding through the crowd of citizens as if performing stunts. The signboards indicating the car-free street seemed meaningless.

Motorcycles modified with mufflers to make loud noises and decorated with flashy lights were rampaging through the car-free street. It was also common to see riders distractedly driving while looking at their mobile phones.

As motorcycles sped by like arrows, some people urgently pulled their friends’ arms, and some pedestrians even uttered harsh words upon seeing the motorcycles.

Kim Mo (39, female) said, “I always tell my child to ‘be careful of motorcycles.’ There have been many times when I was startled because motorcycles sped by without honking,” adding, “Even though it’s a car-free street, I’m constantly worried that an accident might happen.”

Kim Su-an (24) said, “The sidewalk is supposed to prioritize pedestrians, but when motorcycles honk at us to move aside, I don’t know who owns the road,” expressing, “I’m worried about getting hurt because of motorcycles running on the sidewalk.”

This is analyzed as a broader social problem, not just limited to this area.

According to the Gwangju Police Agency, from January to November 3rd, 17,938 cases of two-wheeled vehicle traffic violations were caught. This is an increase of 1,543 cases compared to 16,395 cases during the same period last year.

The most common violation was not wearing a helmet with 7,281 cases, followed by signal violations with 4,796 cases, crossing the center line with 859 cases, and failure to drive safely with 757 cases.

A Gwangju Police Agency official said, “We plan to continue joint crackdowns on two-wheeled vehicle traffic violations so that residents can live in a pleasant environment.”

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