Traffic Hell Eased for Commuters from Suwon Homaesil and Hwaseong Dongtan 2 to Seoul

Mass Deployment of Metropolitan and City Buses Before GTX and Subway Opening

Photo by Asia Economy

The commuting difficulties and traffic inconveniences in Dongtan, Hwaseong, and Homaesil, Suwon, are expected to ease somewhat. The government has decided to deploy a large number of metropolitan and charter buses until the GTX and subway lines open.

On the 26th, the Metropolitan Transportation Committee of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced special metropolitan transportation measures for the Homaesil district in Suwon and Dongtan 2 district in Hwaseong.

These measures were prepared to minimize the traffic inconveniences experienced by local residents due to delays in metropolitan transportation projects. Until major metropolitan transportation facilities are expanded, public transportation means that can be quickly deployed as a short-term supplement will be introduced.

First, in Homaesil, Suwon, which is awaiting the start of construction of the Shinbundang Line extension (Gwanggyo?Homaesil) in 2024, public transportation options that allow travel to Seoul and nearby railway stations will be focused on.

Starting this December, 11 additional buses will be deployed on four metropolitan bus routes going to Gangnam Station and Sadang Station. The number of charter bus trips on four routes to Gangnam Station and Sadang Station will increase by 10 trips starting next month.

Additionally, five double-decker electric buses will be introduced by the first half of next year. The electric buses have 70 seats, about 1.6 times more than the existing buses (44 seats).

One city bus heading toward Gwanggyo Jungang Station will be added, and village buses will also operate toward Suwon Station.

At 14 major metropolitan bus stops within the district, open-type shelters equipped with heated seats and Bus Arrival Information Terminals (BIT) will be installed to enhance passenger comfort and convenience.

There is concern that congestion may worsen (due to increased traffic demand) with the adjustment of the Dangsu 1 and 2 public housing districts in Suwon, as major metropolitan and city bus routes pass through these areas. Therefore, the metropolitan transportation measures for Dangsu 1 and 2 districts will include support for public transportation operation (metropolitan, city, village buses, etc.) during the initial occupancy period to minimize the impact on metropolitan transportation in the Homaesil district.

In Dongtan 2 district, metropolitan and charter buses will be expanded until the opening of GTX-A (Samsung?Dongtan 2) in the first half of 2024 and the Dongtan urban railway (tram) at the end of 2027.

From this December, nine additional buses will be deployed on four routes going to Gangnam Station, and the number of charter bus trips on six routes heading to Gangnam, Pangyo, Jamsil, and Seocho Stations will increase by 19 trips.

Four metropolitan express bus routes heading to Seoul Station and Gangnam Station will be converted to a semi-public operation system to maintain stability. Also, 12 double-decker electric buses will be introduced between 2023 and 2024.

Fifteen additional city buses will be added on four routes serving Yeongtong Station and Byeongjeom Station, and a new village bus route to Dongtan Station will be established.

Along with this, a demand-responsive transport (DRT) service (15-seater) allowing residents to move freely at desired times and locations will begin operation next month.

At eight major metropolitan bus stops within the district, shelters equipped with convenience facilities such as air conditioning, heating, and air purifiers will also be installed for passenger comfort.

On this day, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport held a meeting with the mayors of Suwon and Hwaseong and the head of LH headquarters, announcing an agreement to faithfully implement these special metropolitan transportation measures and to ensure the smooth progress of existing metropolitan transportation facilities.

Furthermore, as a follow-up to the 'Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Plan for New Towns and Others' announced on the 12th, opinions on metropolitan transportation improvements are being collected through regional consultative bodies involving local governments and project implementers, and dedicated task forces (TF) for each district are operating to prepare transportation supplement measures for each district.

Lee Seong-hae, chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Committee, said, "We have prepared these measures through cooperation among related organizations to promptly improve traffic inconveniences from the residents' perspective. We will continue to regularly check the progress and ensure smooth implementation."

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