Jeju Coast Guard Installs First Priority Seating for Transportation-Disadvantaged on Ferries Nationwide

Published 05 Oct.2023 15:03(KST)

Jeju Maritime Police Station (Chief So Byung-yong) announced on the 5th that it has promoted the installation of ‘Priority Seats for Transportation Vulnerable Persons on Ferries and Passenger Ships’ for the elderly, pregnant women, and other transportation vulnerable persons on ferries and passenger ships within Jeju Island.

Priority Seating for Transportation Vulnerable. [Photo by Jeju Coast Guard]

Currently, ferries and passenger ships are not included as transportation means (such as buses, urban railways, airplanes, passenger ships, etc.) under the ‘Act on the Promotion of Convenience for Transportation Vulnerable Persons,’ and thus are excluded from the obligation to install convenience facilities, causing inconvenience to users. To ensure the safety and convenience of transportation vulnerable persons among ferry and passenger ship users in the region, Jeju Maritime Police is the first in the nation to promote the installation of priority seats for transportation vulnerable persons.

The target for the installation of the ‘Priority Seats for Transportation Vulnerable Persons on Ferries and Passenger Ships’ includes a total of four vessels within Jeju Island: two ferries and two passenger ships, with two priority seats installed per vessel.

The priority seats on ferries and passenger ships are installed and operated with ‘Priority Seat’ covers on seats near the cabin entrance that have wider space to accommodate transportation vulnerable persons, which is expected to alleviate some inconvenience for not only persons with disabilities but also elderly passengers and those accompanied by infants.

A Jeju Maritime Police official stated, “With the installation of these priority seats on ferries and passenger ships, we plan to continuously promote measures so that all citizens can use transportation safely and without inconvenience.”