Court Orders Installation of Wheelchair Lifts on Express Buses by 2040

Gwangju Disability Group Wins Lawsuit After 7 Years Under Anti-Discrimination Law
Court Orders Step-by-Step Installation of Lifts Over 15 Years
"Gwangju City Must Support Plans and Budget for Boarding Convenience"

The Gwangju Disabled Persons Discrimination Elimination Coalition, the Gwangju-Jeonnam Branch of the Lawyers for a Democratic Society, and the Lawyers for Public Interest 'Donghaeng' are holding a press conference in front of the Gwangju District, Gwangju Court Complex after the ruling on the discrimination relief lawsuit. Photo by Min Chanki

After seven years, people with disabilities in Gwangju have partially won a lawsuit against Kumho Express and the city of Gwangju, demanding the mandatory installation of wheelchair lifts on express buses, arguing that the lack of such facilities constitutes discrimination.

On the 20th, the Gwangju District Court Civil Division 14 (Presiding Judge Na Kyung) ruled partially in favor of Bae Youngjun and four other plaintiffs with disabilities in their discrimination relief lawsuit against Kumho Express (formerly Kumho Express), the city of Gwangju, and the government.

The court ordered, "Kumho Express must gradually install wheelchair lifts on newly introduced buses over the next 15 years, from next year until 2040." However, the court dismissed some of the claims against the government, the city of Gwangju, and Kumho Express.

Bae and the others argued that the express and intercity buses operated by Kumho Express did not have wheelchair lifts and that low-floor buses were not dispatched, claiming a violation of the Disability Discrimination Act.

They also called for the introduction of buses with lifts on a certain percentage of all routes, or at least on new buses replacing older ones if full coverage was not possible.

On the other hand, the transportation company argued in court about the costs of replacing or retrofitting buses for wheelchair access and the resulting decrease in revenue. Filed in December 2017, this was the first lawsuit in Gwangju seeking relief from discrimination against the mobility rights of people with disabilities.

On the day of the verdict, the Gwangju Coalition to Eliminate Discrimination against People with Disabilities, the Gwangju-Jeonnam branch of Lawyers for a Democratic Society, and Donghaeng (a group of public interest lawyers) held a press conference in front of the Gwangju District Court Complex in Dong-gu, Gwangju. They stated, "Seven years after people with disabilities filed for proactive relief measures under the Disability Discrimination Act?such as the introduction of wheelchair lift buses and budget allocations?the Gwangju District Court has partially accepted the claim. The absence of wheelchair lifts on express buses and the lack of boarding and alighting conveniences at bus stops have been confirmed as discrimination, and there is a confirmed obligation to take proactive measures to correct this."

They pointed out, "Kumho Express has repeatedly claimed high costs without providing evidence, and the city of Gwangju has insisted it has no legal responsibility. However, unlike low-floor city buses, installing wheelchair lifts is relatively simple, and the retrofitting cost has decreased from over 30 million won to about 25 million won."

They also explained, "Although the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport has been providing subsidies for these retrofits since 2019, all express bus companies, including Kumho Express, have not applied for these funds, resulting in budget cuts. Assuming 10 new buses are purchased annually, the cost of introducing wheelchair lifts would be only 250 million won per year, and considering the available subsidies, the burden would be much less."

Furthermore, they added, "The city of Gwangju is obligated under the Act on Promotion of Transportation Convenience for Mobility Disadvantaged Persons to include plans and budget allocations for intercity buses in its local transportation convenience plan. However, in 2022, a budget of 1 trillion won was left unused. Following this court ruling, Kumho Express must immediately introduce wheelchair lift buses, and the city of Gwangju must actively support plans and budgets to improve boarding and alighting convenience at intercity bus terminals."

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