Machang Bridge "Employee Safety Remains Top Priority, Slogans Clearly Enforced"

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] At around 3:08 a.m. on the 7th, a passenger car collided with a shock absorber device before entering the toll booth lane heading toward Masan at the Machang Bridge tollgate in Gyeongnam.

The Gyeongnam Headquarters of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions is holding a press conference regarding the vehicle collision accident on the Machang Bridge.
[Photo by Lee Seryeong]

On the 19th, the Gyeongnam branch of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions held a press conference claiming, "Although the toll booth cashier lost consciousness due to the impact of the accident, the Machang Bridge side left the employee unattended for over an hour and interfered with the hospital treatment."

The Machang Bridge side denied this, stating, "This is not true."

According to Machang Bridge, on that day, due to driver negligence, the vehicle deviated from the driving lane, and after hitting the shock absorber device, it ran over the island curb, which separates the toll booth and the lane, and left the road.

The vehicle did not crash into the toll booth, but the cashier inside was startled by the impact noise, and the Machang Bridge side checked the employee for any trauma and took measures to help them stabilize.

Another employee took over the toll booth duties to allow vehicle passage.

Machang Bridge attempted several times to call the 119 emergency services, but the cashier repeatedly refused, asking for their spouse to be called instead.

Subsequently, the cashier’s husband arrived at the scene and reported the incident to 119, and the employee was transported to the hospital.

The cashier’s side informed the Machang Bridge management and operation company that they wished to receive treatment at a small private hospital.

The management and operation company, contracted as the Machang Bridge safety and health manager, recommended treatment at a health management hospital capable of professional care, and the cashier received treatment at that hospital on the 18th.

Speed bump grooving.
Photo by Machang Bridge

Machang Bridge stated that to prevent recurrence of similar accidents, they have installed ▲grooving on the road surface to reduce vehicle speed ▲collision prevention poles at manned booths ▲gantry LED for multi-lane Hi-Pass facilities ▲electronic display boards to enhance recognition of manned lanes ▲and delineators to improve lane visibility, and have increased the visibility of speed limit signs.

Collision prevention facilities on both sides of the manned booths to prevent toll booth collisions are planned to be expanded in March after safety reviews.

A Machang Bridge official said, "This accident was caused by driver fault and has been reported to the subscribed insurance company. The shock absorber device and others will be restored. We will continue to prioritize employee safety, do our best to provide relief in case of emergencies, and strive to prevent recurrence of accidents."

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