Naju-si Introduces Five Low-Floor Buses to Improve Public Transportation Convenience

Published 30 Jan.2024 14:24(KST)

Naju City, Jeollanam-do (Mayor Yoon Byung-tae) announced on the 30th that it has introduced five low-floor buses to improve public transportation convenience for vulnerable groups such as the elderly, disabled, and pregnant women.

Starting from the 1st of next month, the 47-seat buses will be introduced on routes 7000, 7001, and 7002, which pass through the ‘Innovation City-Naju Station-Naju Terminal-Dongshin University’ line.

Low-floor bus in the Naju area. [Photo by Naju City]

Low-floor buses have a lowered body and no steps at the entrance, making them a representative ‘barrier-free’ device that enhances mobility for vulnerable groups such as the disabled, along with elevators.

The city expects that the introduction of low-floor buses will improve the public transportation environment for vulnerable groups who had difficulty climbing bus steps.

Since January last year, the city plans to accelerate the increase of low-floor buses due to the mandatory introduction of low-floor buses when scrapping or replacing buses, according to the revised ‘Act on the Promotion of Convenience for Transportation Vulnerable Persons.’

Additionally, 20 eco-friendly electric low-floor buses will be introduced by the end of this year to contribute to achieving carbon neutrality.

With the introduction of these five low-floor buses and 20 electric low-floor buses, the current low-floor bus adoption rate in Naju City is expected to expand to 27%.

Mayor Yoon Byung-tae said, “Public transportation should be approached not just as a means of simple movement but as transportation welfare for citizens,” adding, “We will expand the introduction of low-floor buses to enhance the mobility convenience of local transportation vulnerable groups and to enable more citizens to use public transportation conveniently.”