Enjoyable Return Trip, Watch Out for Bus-Only Lanes

Seoul City Extends Public Transportation Operating Hours

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 18th that it will extend the enforcement hours of the bus-only lane on the Gyeongbu Expressway from the south end of Hannam Bridge to Yangjae IC during the Lunar New Year holiday period.

The operation hours of the bus-only lane on the Gyeongbu Expressway are normally from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., but during the Lunar New Year holiday from the 20th to the 24th, the hours will be extended from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. the following day. The extended enforcement will end at 1 a.m. on the 25th.

According to the Road Traffic Act, only vehicles with 9 or more seats carrying at least 6 passengers are allowed to use the bus-only lanes on expressways. Violations will result in fines of 50,000 KRW for passenger cars and 60,000 KRW for vans.

There are a total of seven enforcement cameras on the Gyeongbu Expressway: four on the southbound side (Banpo IC, Seocho IC, Seocho IC entrance, Yangjae IC) and three on the northbound side (Yangjae IC, Seocho IC, Banpo IC). Fines are imposed for each violation detected.

Vehicles that accidentally enter the bus-only lane are also subject to enforcement, and fines are imposed not only by unmanned cameras but also through citizen reports of violations.

Last Public Transport Extended Until 2 a.m.

Along with this, the last public transportation services during the Lunar New Year holiday will be extended until 2 a.m. Seoul subway normally ends operation at midnight on holidays. On Lunar New Year day and the following day, when returning travelers are concentrated, the last train times will be extended until 2 a.m. Lines 1 through 9, the Uisinseol Line, and the Sillim Line will operate until 2 a.m. based on the arrival time at the terminal stations. Boarding times vary depending on the station and destination.

On the same days, city buses will also operate until 2 a.m. A total of 124 routes passing through five train stations?Seoul Station, Yongsan Station, Yeongdeungpo Station, Cheongnyangni Station, Suseo Station?and three bus terminals?Seoul Express Central City, Dong Seoul, and Nambu Terminal?are included. The last buses departing from stops in front of major train stations and express/intercity bus terminals toward the terminal direction will leave at 2 a.m. the next day. For routes passing through two or more stations or terminals, the last stop served is the reference point.

The owl city buses (14 routes) that normally operate from 11:10 p.m. to 6 a.m. the next day will also run normally throughout the Lunar New Year holiday. To accommodate visitors to municipal cemeteries using public transportation, the number of runs for four city bus routes passing through Yongmiri (No. 774) and Manguri (Nos. 201, 262, 270) municipal cemeteries will increase by a total of 49 trips over the two days of the 22nd and 23rd.

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