Introduction of "Property Tax Reduction for Small Bus Terminals and Pre-Notification System for Suspension or Closure"

Party and Government Discuss Measures to Stabilize Bus Terminal Services
Fuel Price-Linked Subsidy and Vehicle Usage Period Extended by One Year
Park Dae-chul "Efforts to Secure Budget Related to Bus Terminals"

The People Power Party and the government have decided to exempt property tax for small-scale bus terminals to revitalize terminal operations struggling due to a decrease in passengers. Along with this, to minimize passenger inconvenience, they will expedite the legislation of a prior notification system for terminal closures and suspensions, and extend the operation period by one year for intercity express buses whose vehicle usage period expires in 2025.

On the 30th, Park Dae-chul, the Policy Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, stated at a briefing held after the 'Bus Terminal Service Stabilization Plan' party-government consultation at the National Assembly, "We reaffirmed that the guarantee of mobility rights is an essential element of people's livelihood, and reached a consensus that stabilizing bus terminals is urgent," revealing these plans.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Bus terminals, mainly located in provincial areas, have reportedly been facing management difficulties due to a recent decline in passenger numbers, leading to a surge in closures. Chairman Park said, "We will reduce property tax for small-scale terminals and introduce a prior notification system for terminal closures and suspensions to prevent sudden shutdowns." He added, "We will review the extension of fuel-linked subsidies for diesel and CNG, expand support projects such as assistance for obtaining large vehicle licenses and increasing trainees in workforce training programs," emphasizing, "We will promote the expansion of express bus season tickets and premium buses to reduce the burden on the public."

The party and government also agreed to improve the system to allow various convenience facilities to be installed in terminal warehouse logistics facilities and provide necessary support to replace on-site ticket booths with unmanned ticketing systems. Chairman Park said, "We will actively pursue budget allocation related to bus terminals to secure transportation mobility rights for remote routes," and added, "We will focus our capabilities with the government to discover additional tasks for guaranteeing and expanding the public’s mobility rights."

To prevent the burden of vehicle replacement costs from leading to a reduction in bus route operations, the usage period for intercity express buses will be extended by one year. Chairman Park explained, "We will extend the usage period by one year for intercity express buses whose vehicle usage expires by the end of 2025, and relax baggage transport size restrictions to the level of Korea Post parcel standards."

Regarding safety concerns that may arise from extending the usage period of vehicles scheduled for disposal, Baek Won-guk, the 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, "The inspection cycle will be shortened from one year to six months, and the inspection authority will be directly conducted by the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, so I believe safety issues can be resolved."

The consultation meeting was attended by Chairman Park, Lee Man-hee, Senior Deputy Chairman of the Policy Committee, Kim Jeong-jae, ruling party secretary of the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, and Song Seok-jun and Han Mu-gyeong, members of the Land Committee. From the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Vice Minister Baek and Lee Yun-sang, Director of the Transport and Logistics Office, were present.

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