Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon's Seoul Companion Bus Expands with 4 New Routes Including Pangyo and Uijeongbu

Seongnam Pangyo, Goyang Hwajeong, Uijeongbu Gosan, Ganeung New Stations
Sequential Expansion of Evening Rush Hours Planned from June
Additional Expansions Following the Start of 2 Lines in August Last Year

The 'Seoul Donghaeng Bus,' operating in the metropolitan area underserved by public transportation, will expand its service area starting from the 7th of next month. The expansion includes four locations: ▲Seongnam Pangyo ▲Goyang Hwajeong ▲Uijeongbu Gosan ▲Uijeongbu Ganeung, and from June, the service will be extended to operate not only during morning commutes but also during evening rush hours.

On the 25th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it will expand and reorganize the customized bus service 'Seoul Donghaeng Bus' for metropolitan residents commuting to Seoul into 10 routes. Four new routes will be established, and three existing routes will be adjusted by adding stops or changing operating hours based on user demand.

The Seoul Donghaeng Bus was planned to simultaneously address the commuting difficulties and traffic congestion issues of metropolitan residents under the administrative philosophy of Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who believes that 'metropolitan residents are also Seoul citizens.' Since launching two routes in August last year (Seoul01-Hwaseong Dongtan~Gangnam Station, Seoul02-Gimpo Pungmu~Gimpo Airport Station), it has received high acclaim from metropolitan residents, surpassing 74,000 passengers in just over seven months.

New Seoul Donghaeng Bus Route 07 Map. [Data provided by Seoul City]

Through this initiative, Seoul plans to build a denser network connecting areas near Seongnam City (Pangyo 2nd Techno Valley), Goyang City (Goyang Hwajeong Station), and Uijeongbu City (Uijeongbu Gosan District, Uijeongbu Ganeung-dong) with Seoul, addressing commuting difficulties in the metropolitan area.

The four newly expanded Seoul Donghaeng Bus routes will all operate as trunk buses (cashless buses). The fare is 1,500 KRW (standard fare), and the Climate Companion Card can be used. The existing three Donghaeng Bus routes (Seoul04-Goyang Wonheung~Hongdae Entrance Station, Seoul05-Yangju Okjeong~Dobongsan Station, Seoul06-Gwangju Neungpyeong~Gangnam Station) will improve accessibility by adding stops or changing operating hours.

Previously, Seoul conducted a survey among Seoul Donghaeng Bus users to gather feedback on satisfaction and opinions regarding evening rush hour operations. Based on the results, plans are underway to expand the Seoul Donghaeng Bus service to include evening hours.

The new routes operating during evening rush hours aim to start sequential service from June, with ongoing consultations among Gyeonggi Province, transportation companies, and related agencies. Yoon Jong-jang, Director of Urban Transportation at Seoul City, stated, "The Seoul Donghaeng Bus has received great support for alleviating commuting inconveniences for metropolitan residents. We will spare no effort to provide mobility convenience to various metropolitan areas. Moving forward, we will promptly promote evening rush hour operations to support commuting convenience for metropolitan residents and focus on transportation policies that accompany metropolitan residents."

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