Climate Companion Card Users Save '30,000 Won' on Monthly Transportation Costs

Greatest Savings of 35,000 KRW in 60s
4% of Respondents Use Public Transport Instead of Passenger Cars

It was found that users of the Climate Companion Card saved an average of 30,000 KRW per month on transportation costs. About 4% of these users switched from using private cars to public transportation.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government conducted a survey of 2,823 Climate Companion Card users from the 8th to the 22nd of last month. The survey results showed that the average monthly transportation cost savings per person from using the Climate Companion Card was approximately 30,000 KRW. By age group, the savings were ▲20s: 29,000 KRW ▲30s: 27,000 KRW ▲40s: 28,000 KRW ▲50s: 31,000 KRW ▲60s: 35,000 KRW.

On January 26, one day before the pilot operation of the 'Climate Companion Card,' the unlimited public transportation pass introduced for the first time nationwide by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, promotional flyers for the Climate Companion Card were posted at Gwanghwamun Station on Subway Line 5 in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Among all respondents, 56.2% (1,586 people) owned private cars, and of these, 4% (127 people) answered that they used public transportation more than 20 times a month instead of their usual private cars.

Considering that the average number of weekday users of the Climate Companion Card is 500,000, the city estimated that about 20,000 people, corresponding to 4%, used public transportation more than 20 times a month instead of private cars. Based on this, the city explained that the number of private car trips decreased by about 11,000 per day, and approximately 3,600 tons of greenhouse gases were reduced during the two months of operating the Climate Companion Card.

The average daily usage frequency of the Climate Companion Card was 3.4 times. The city pointed out that the reason for the higher average daily usage compared to the general transportation card’s 2.5 times is that users can use it unlimitedly without restrictions such as transfer times.

Starting with this survey, the city expects usage patterns to change according to future service and system changes, and plans to conduct additional surveys with the Seoul Institute for accurate effectiveness analysis. Additionally, various support and system improvements are forthcoming, including linking the Climate Companion Card with discounts on admission fees for cultural and park facilities, introducing short-term passes for tourists, and expanding the service area to neighboring local governments.

Yoon Jong-jang, Director of Urban Transportation at Seoul City, said, "Citizens’ interest in the Climate Companion Card, as well as the shift to the good habit of using public transportation, is creating economic and environmental benefits. We will expand services and improve systems so that the Climate Companion Card can be used throughout daily life and establish it as a sustainable transportation pass."

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