July 30th Most Congested on Vacation Departure, July 31st on Return... Special Traffic Measures Prepared

64.5% Say 'Going on Vacation'... 26% Increase Compared to Last Year

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Min-young] This summer vacation season, from July 30 to August 5, 17.9% of all vacationers are expected to travel, with highways departing from the metropolitan area being most congested on the 30th and the return routes busiest on the 31st. The average daily number of vehicles using highways during the vacation period is predicted to be about 5.14 million, a 7.8% increase compared to last year.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 20th, "We have designated the 20-day period from July 22 to August 10 as the special summer vacation traffic control period and plan to implement special traffic measures jointly with related agencies to provide a safe transportation environment from COVID-19."

◆ 5.14 million vehicles daily to vacation spots... 91% travel by passenger car = According to a survey by the Korea Transport Institute, the total number of travelers during the control period is estimated at 88.92 million, with an average of 4.55 million travelers per day, a 16.6% increase from the previous year. The highest percentage of planned vacation departure dates is from July 30 to August 5 at 17.9%, followed by after August 20 at 15.4%, and July 23 to 29 at 13.9%.

The most popular travel destinations are the East Coast area (24.7%), followed by the South Coast area (18.5%), Jeju area (12.2%), West Coast area (10.6%), and Gangwon inland area (7.9%). Regarding transportation modes, 91.2% responded that they would use passenger cars overwhelmingly, followed by buses (4.1%), rail (3.2%), air (1.0%), and maritime (0.5%).

The nationwide average daily highway vehicle count is expected to be 5.14 million. This is 7.8% higher than last year and exceeds the usual weekend traffic volume of 4.91 million vehicles. For highways, the direction heading to vacation spots is expected to be most congested on the 30th, and the return direction on the 31st. The maximum expected travel time to vacation spots is estimated at 5 hours 50 minutes from Seoul to Gangneung and 6 hours 50 minutes from Seoul to Busan.

In this year's survey, 64.5% responded that they will go on vacation, while 35.5% answered 'not going' or 'undecided.' Compared to last year, the percentage of those going on vacation increased by 26.7%, while those not going or undecided decreased by 8.5% and 18.2%, respectively. The proportion of respondents citing COVID-19 as the reason for not going or being undecided decreased, while the burden of vacation costs due to rising oil prices and inflation increased.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport stated, "Health authorities expect up to 200,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases in August to September due to a resurgence, so this plan focuses on 'prevention and safety.'"

◆ Activation of contactless reservations and operation of shoulder lanes = The Ministry plans to promote contactless reservations and maintain at least 1 meter of distancing during on-site ticket sales. Transparent partitions will be installed at bus ticket counters, and for rail, only 10% of seats will be allocated to seniors and disabled persons, with reservations to be made online or by phone. Thorough disinfection and ventilation will be conducted before and after public transportation operations, and inbound travelers will be guided to undergo PCR testing within one day of arrival.

Additionally, to facilitate smooth transportation during the vacation period, the special traffic control period will see an increase of 1,029 daily express bus trips, 4 rail trips, 78 flights, and 51 ferry trips.

To alleviate traffic concentration, 15 sections totaling 95.6 km, including the Dalseo IC to Sangmae Jct (32.9 km) on the highway and Deoksan to Godeok IC on National Route 40, will open, and the 6.0 km section of the Heunghae bypass on National Route 7 will be temporarily opened. Shoulder lanes will be operated on expected congested sections, along with temporary shoulders, deceleration lanes, and detour roads. On the heavily traveled East Coast routes, shoulder lanes will operate in both directions. Furthermore, real-time traffic information will be provided through mobile apps and various media to support smooth traffic flow.

For the convenience of vacationers, free vehicle inspections will be conducted through the Korea Expressway Corporation and domestic automobile direct and partner service networks. Temporary restrooms will be expanded by 667 units at major highway rest areas and drowsiness rest stops, and 232 shade shelters will be installed at drowsiness rest stops.

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