Road Users Most Dissatisfied with 'Road Potholes and Drowsy Rest Areas'... Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport "Prioritizing Budget Allocation"

Vehicles are lined up moving on the southbound lanes of the Gyeongbu Expressway near Jamwon IC in Seocho-gu, Seoul. / Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

Last year, a survey on user satisfaction with highways and national roads revealed that potholes, cracks, poor lane markings, and a lack of rest areas for drowsy drivers were the biggest complaints. The government has decided to prioritize budget allocation for road pavement management this year.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced the results of last year's road user satisfaction survey on the 19th and stated that based on these results, it will prioritize budget investment in road pavement management, lane marking, and the creation of rest areas for drowsy drivers to improve road safety.

The road user satisfaction survey was conducted by the Korea Productivity Center using the National Customer Satisfaction Index (NCSI), targeting 7,240 users of expressways and general national roads from August to October last year.

The survey results showed that user satisfaction scores for government-funded expressways and general national roads were 79 and 76 points respectively, each increasing by 1 point compared to 2020. Privately funded expressways were included in the survey for the first time, with a satisfaction score of 79 points.

Respondents indicated that for both general national roads and expressways, potholes and cracks, lane markings, and additional installation of road safety facilities and rest areas for drowsy drivers were the most necessary improvements.

In the case of privately funded expressways, overall user satisfaction was high, but public demand for improvements in rest areas, Hi-Pass systems, and rest facilities was relatively higher compared to other facilities.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will first invest 252 billion KRW in pavement maintenance for aging general national roads. Using specialized survey vehicles that automatically record and analyze surface cracks and potholes, the pavement condition of all national roads will be inspected, and sections requiring repairs will be improved to be comfortable and smooth based on the results.

To ensure drivers can easily identify lane markings even on rainy or nighttime conditions, 47 billion KRW will be invested in lane brightness surveys and lane marking repairs.

For rest areas for drowsy drivers, 12.5 billion KRW will be invested to newly install 10 locations and improve existing facilities.

Korea Expressway Corporation also plans to strengthen road facility safety and enhance services such as establishing contactless payment systems at rest areas by reflecting the results of this user satisfaction survey.

Lee Yoon-sang, Director of the Road Bureau at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, "We plan to actively reflect the survey results, including necessary improvements, in policy implementation to manage roads from the perspective of the citizens who use them."

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