Paju City Fully Replaces Village Bus Route 085 with Large Buses

Large Village Buses Introduced for Route 085
Improved Comfort and Accessibility
Paju City Strengthens Citizen-Centered Transportation Welfare

Paju City in Gyeonggi Province announced on September 2 that all vehicles on village bus route number 085, which connects Geumchon and Unjeong, were fully replaced with large buses as of September 1.

Village bus number 085 fully replaced with large buses. Provided by Paju City

Village bus number 085 was established in 2019 to coincide with the move-in period for apartment complexes in Unjeong New Town. Since then, 70 percent of the vehicles have continued to operate as medium-sized buses introduced at the time the route launched. This has led to ongoing complaints from passengers about discomfort due to narrow seating and concerns about safety resulting from aging vehicles.

In particular, during this summer's unprecedented heat wave, citizens' complaints intensified as frequent air conditioning failures occurred due to the aging vehicles, causing significant discomfort.

With the complete replacement of all old medium-sized vehicles with large buses, these inconveniences are expected to be greatly alleviated. The introduction of new vehicles not only ensures improved safety, but also provides much more spacious seating, allowing for a more comfortable and relaxed commute even during peak hours.

Most notably, the newly introduced large buses are electric low-floor models, offering silent and emission-free operation to reduce environmental impact, while the low-floor design significantly improves accessibility for transportation-vulnerable groups. This move reflects Paju City's commitment to establishing an eco-friendly public transportation system and realizing sustainable transportation welfare, as emphasized in the city's public transit policy direction.

Kim Kyoungil, Mayor of Paju City, stated, "Public transportation is the most fundamental element of social welfare, closely linked to citizens' daily lives. As the first municipality in the nation to introduce a semi-public operation system for village buses and a leader in transportation welfare, Paju City will continue to improve the quality of village bus services and further strengthen transportation welfare."

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