Waiting for the Bus Becomes Enjoyable!... Nowon-gu Expands Resident Convenience Facilities at Bus Stops

Approximately 970 million KRW from the old budget invested, installation of 441 Bus Information Terminals completed... 318 heated seats installed, Ttasum Rest Areas operated, additional subway station boarding convenience facilities installed

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) is focusing on expanding various convenience facilities for residents using public transportation.

The initiative began in 2019 with the expanded installation of Bus Information Terminals (BIT) that provide bus arrival times. Nowon-gu is the only autonomous district in Seoul to have allocated its own budget to this project, separate from Seoul city support. The district took direct action because the existing terminal installation rate was below half of the bus stops in the area.

Nowon-gu has completed the installation of Bus Information Terminals (BIT) at all 441 bus stops where installation was structurally possible, excluding 60 stops out of 501 in the district that could not be equipped due to lack of electrical supply and other constraints. In particular, the number of terminals at village bus stops, which were relatively underserved, was greatly expanded from 8 to 84 locations.

This project ranked third in the ‘Top 10 News of Nowon-gu’ chosen by residents in 2019, reflecting strong interest and positive response from the local community.

The heated seats during winter are similar. To help elderly residents sensitive to cold, installation began at bus stops in the district in 2018. This year, 140 additional bus stops were equipped, bringing the total to 318 out of 501 stops, which is over 63% of all bus stops in the area.

The heated seats have been operational since November 15 and will run until April next year. They automatically maintain a surface temperature of 35℃ when the ambient temperature is 18℃ or below.

Currently, operation is suspended due to COVID-19, but preparations are underway to reactivate 93 ‘Ttasum Shelters’?cold wind barriers that protect passengers waiting for buses. Along with summer crosswalk heatshade shelters, Ttasum Shelters are recognized as seasonally tailored, community-focused administrative services.

Obstructions such as signposts and street trees that interfered with bus boarding and alighting and posed safety risks were identified and removed or relocated at 28 locations, completing maintenance around bus stops.

Additionally, projects are underway to support bicycle users, including the ‘Bicycle Safety Patrol,’ ‘Free Bicycle Steam Cleaning Service,’ and ‘Bicycle Rack Maintenance.’ For subway users, Nowon-gu is actively collaborating with Korail and Seoul Metro to install additional elevators and escalators in subway stations.

Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, stated, “Inconveniences in public transportation, known as the citizens’ feet, must be properly diagnosed and improved by seeing them through the eyes of residents. We will continue to enhance transportation welfare services so that all residents can be satisfied regardless of the mode of transportation they use.”

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