Namhae-gun, Use Any Bus Within the County for 1000 Won

Rural Bus Flat Fare System to Be Implemented from March 1

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Song Jong-gu] As Namhae-gun in Gyeongnam implements a flat fare system for rural buses, passengers can now travel anywhere within the county on rural buses by paying just 1,000 won regardless of distance.

According to the county on the 14th, from March 1st, the section fare system will be abolished and a flat fare system will be implemented. The base fare will also be reduced from the existing 1,450 won to 1,000 won (youth and children from 950 won and 700 won to 500 won).

Namhae-gun Office, Gyeongnam.

Until now, rural buses within Namhae-gun have operated on a distance-based fare system. For distances within 10 km, the fare was 1,450 won for adults, 950 won for youth, and 700 won for children, with an additional 131.82 won charged per km beyond 10 km.

For example, traveling from Namhae-eup to Seolli Village in Mijo-myeon, the farthest distance, required paying about four times the base fare, approximately 5,500 won.

Due to such chronic restrictions on mobility, demands for a ‘flat fare system’ were high. However, until 2019, most of the county buses were registered as ‘intercity buses’ under the jurisdiction of metropolitan local governments, making administrative intervention by Namhae-gun practically difficult.

Namhae-gun has been actively planning rural bus service improvement policies since the launch of the 8th local government following the 7th, under the county administration’s policy of ‘strengthening practical, community-based welfare.’ After implementing the flat fare system, preparations and reviews for ‘free rural bus service for seniors’ will also be accelerated.

Namhae-gun expects that the introduction of the ‘flat fare system’ will also bring about safer driving and improved service quality. Additionally, the expansion of mobility and the resulting increase in passengers are anticipated to contribute to the local economy.

The loss in transportation revenue due to the implementation of the flat fare system will be fully supported by the county budget, and Namhae-gun plans to continuously improve the quality of rural bus services through close cooperation with transportation companies.

Jang Chung-nam, the governor of Namhae-gun, said, “Although there were unavoidable circumstances until now, many residents have experienced inconvenience and a heavy fare burden with bus fares. We will steadily seek ways to revitalize public transportation not only by addressing fare issues but also by improving the overall quality of rural bus services.”

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