Ministry of Land's First Pilot Project 'Changwon Wonidaero S-BRT' Temporary Opening on the 15th

Changwon Special City, "Committed to Providing
Timely Public Transportation Services"

Changwon Special City in Gyeongnam announced the progress made so far and future plans, including the demolition of Junganghwa-dan, a matter of public interest, and the plan to promote the 3·15-daero BRT project (Phase 2), as the ‘Changwon Wonidaero S-BRT (Premium Trunk Bus Rapid Transit System),’ the first pilot project by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in Korea, is set to open temporarily on the 15th.

Jomyeongrae, the 2nd Deputy Mayor of Changwon Special City, is giving a briefing on the opening of Woni-daero on the 13th.

◆ Progress

The BRT construction project is structured under the “Special Act on the Construction and Operation of Trunk Bus Rapid Transit Systems,” with roles divided among ▲the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport as the ‘Comprehensive Plan Establishment Authority,’ ▲the provincial governor (Gyeongnam Province) as the ‘Development Plan Establishment Authority’ and ‘Implementation Plan Approval Authority,’ and ▲the local government (Changwon City) as the ‘Implementation Plan Establishment Authority’ and ‘System Construction Executor.’

Accordingly, the city proceeded through stages including ▲idea proposal ▲feasibility verification and policy decision (decision to demolish Junganghwa-dan) ▲budget securing ▲application and approval of Changwon City’s ‘Implementation Plan’ ▲construction commencement, reconfirmation of S-BRT policy decisions, and pre-completion usage approval.

◆ Future Plans

After these processes, the entire section of the ‘Changwon Wonidaero S-BRT’ will open temporarily on the 15th, with 339 city buses operating on 45 routes. The city plans to submit a completion report to the province, receive the province’s final completion confirmation and announcement, and complete the project implementation procedures.

To prevent confusion caused by operating the BRT-exclusive road for the first time, the city conducted training and mock driving for city bus drivers before the opening. During the initial opening period, about 100 guides will be deployed to assist boarding at changed bus stops and provide bus information, minimizing inconvenience to citizens. Existing curbside bus stops along the S-BRT section will be improved for use as taxi and commuter bus stops to enhance citizen convenience.

The city plans to closely analyze the effectiveness of the S-BRT introduction, as expectations and concerns coexist. Through professional agency services, it will compare and analyze bus and passenger car travel speeds, traffic volumes, and usage conditions before and after the opening. Additionally, continuous monitoring of traffic flow and bus usage environment will be conducted in cooperation with the police and the Road Traffic Authority to thoroughly analyze the effectiveness of the S-BRT.

Furthermore, surveys targeting bus, passenger car, and taxi drivers will be conducted to gather objective evaluations and public opinion from citizens, and any inconveniences will be promptly addressed.

Jo Myung-rae, the Second Deputy Mayor, said, “We sincerely apologize for the considerable inconvenience, such as traffic congestion, caused to citizens during the construction of the Wonidaero S-BRT.” He added, “We will do our best to provide the best public transportation service with punctuality comparable to that of the subway.”

Meanwhile, the city plans to decide the timing and direction of the 3·15-daero BRT project scheduled for the Masan area based on the effectiveness of the Wonidaero S-BRT, carefully analyzing the synergy of Phase 1 and 2 BRT connections and road operation efficiency.

Also, since there was significant negative public opinion due to inconveniences caused by the Wonidaero S-BRT construction, it was made clear that the 3·15-daero BRT project will proceed only after building public consensus among citizens.

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