Rising Heating Costs and Public Utility Price Hikes? Incheon Civic Groups Demand "Establish Livelihood Measures"

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] As heating costs soar and inflation remains high, controversy is heating up in the local community as Incheon City shows signs of significantly raising public utility fees.

On the 13th, the Incheon Peace Welfare Solidarity held a press conference at Incheon City Hall, stating, "Citizens are painfully feeling the march of high prices in every aspect of their lives," and demanded, "Incheon City should freeze bus, subway, and water and sewage fees."

The organization emphasized, "Recently, Gyeonggi Province announced that it would prepare a supplementary budget to provide broad support for residents and freeze bus fares," adding, "Incheon City should make the same choice as Gyeonggi Province."

They also added, "We will submit a petition urging Seoul City to freeze bus and subway fares," and "Incheon City should form a Public-Private Cooperation Committee for Livelihood Safety to prepare measures that citizens can feel."

Since Seoul City is planning to raise subway and bus fares, it is inevitable that public transportation fares in the metropolitan area, including Incheon, which adopts the Metropolitan Area Integrated Transfer Discount System, will increase. Incheon City plans to raise taxi fares starting next month.

The city plans to raise the basic fare for mid-sized taxis from 3,800 won to 4,800 won, an increase of 1,000 won, and reduce the basic distance from 2 km to 1.6 km, raising fares by an average of 18.7%. This proposal will be submitted to the city’s Price Countermeasure Committee this month. If approved, the increased fares are expected to be applied from the end of next month.

Following Seoul, Incheon City is also considering raising the base fare for mid-sized taxis from 3,800 won to 4,800 won.

Regarding city buses, it is known that the city completed a management status survey in the second half of last year and is currently coordinating the timing and amount of fare increases. The quasi-public city buses in Incheon recorded a deficit of over 260 billion won last year alone. The city maintains that fare increases are inevitable to reduce the financial burden.

On the other hand, Gyeonggi Province decided to freeze bus fares. Governor Kim Dong-yeon said in his provincial government speech on the 7th, "Bus fares, which must be used for commuting or school, are expenses that households find difficult to cut back on," adding, "Gyeonggi Province will start with freezing bus fares and thoroughly prepare mid- to long-term measures to improve the public transportation system to ease residents' worries."

Lee Kwang-ho, Secretary General of the Incheon Peace Welfare Solidarity, argued, "The 8th-term Incheon City government must prioritize livelihood as the most important policy direction," and "They need to prepare more substantial and detailed livelihood economic measures for Incheon citizens who are suffering from the triple hardships of soaring heating costs, high inflation, and public transportation fare increases."

There are also calls for Incheon City to expand the scope of heating cost support.

The Youth and University Student Committee of the Democratic Party’s Incheon City Branch stated, "Not only basic livelihood security recipients but also single-person households, newlyweds, youth households, small business owners, and self-employed people are struggling with the heating cost bomb," and criticized, "However, Incheon City is only offering superficial and token heating cost support measures for some."

They pointed out that the city is only providing 100,000 won in heating cost support to basic livelihood security recipients and near-poverty groups, apparently out of deference to the central government.

The committee urged, "As energy prices and inflation rise sharply, making life harder for all citizens, local governments must prepare more proactive and preemptive support measures," and "Like other local governments, Incheon City should provide universal heating cost support for all 3 million Incheon citizens."

Earlier, Paju City in Gyeonggi Province decided to provide an emergency energy living stabilization subsidy of 200,000 won to all households.

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