Gwangju Transportation Corporation Urges National Policy Planning Committee to Support Compensation for Free Ride Losses

Joint Petition by Labor and Management of Urban Railway Operators Nationwide
Urging the New Government to Include "Public Interest Cost Compensation" as a Key National Agenda Item

Representatives of labor and management from six urban railway operating organizations nationwide, including Gwangju Transportation Corporation, gathered on the 9th to submit a petition to the Lee Jae-myung government’s National Policy Planning Committee, requesting national funding support for losses incurred from free rides. Photo by Gwangju Transportation Corporation

On July 9, Gwangju Transportation Corporation announced that representatives of labor and management from six urban railway operating organizations?Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, and Daejeon?gathered to adopt and submit a joint petition to the National Policy Planning Committee. The petition urges the new government to swiftly include the legislation for "national funding compensation for losses from free rides," which is currently at a standstill, as a key national agenda item.

Previously, in May, representatives from the six organizations had submitted a petition with the same content to the National Assembly’s Transportation Committee, as well as to the presidential campaign teams of both the People Power Party and the Democratic Party of Korea. Now, after about two months, the related organizations have once again adopted a petition calling for prompt government-level support for losses incurred from free rides.

The "statutory free rides on urban railways," implemented for 41 years since 1984 in accordance with the law, is a state-led transportation welfare policy. However, there has been no government support at all for the operating organizations to date.

The cumulative deficit of the six organizations, including losses from free rides, has reached 29 trillion won, with an average annual loss of approximately 558.8 billion won over the past five years. In particular, as Korea enters a super-aged society, the financial difficulties of these organizations are expected to persist. Additionally, electricity costs, which account for a significant portion of urban railway operations, have surged sharply over the past several years, making national funding support for public utility charges urgently necessary.

Jo Ikmun, President of Gwangju Transportation Corporation, stated, "Government support is essential to respond to environmental changes, including the population crisis, and to ensure the sustainable operation of national infrastructure. We will continue to do our best so that urban railways can fully serve their public service function."

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