Mayor Kim Byungsoo: "No More Ignoring Citizens' Inconvenience... 50% Subsidy for Ilsan Bridge Toll"

Gimpo City to Provide 50% Subsidy for Ilsan Bridge Toll
Mayor Kim Byungsoo Prioritizes Basic Transportation Rights, Decides on Partial Toll Support for Residents
Weekday Commuters with Gimpo-Registered Vehicles Eligible; Plans for Future Expansion

Gimpo City in Gyeonggi Province will provide a 50% subsidy for the Ilsan Bridge toll to guarantee Gimpo residents' right to mobility and reduce their financial burden.

Byungsoo Kim, Mayor of Gimpo City. Provided by Gimpo City

Ilsan Bridge Tollgate. Provided by Gimpo City

This measure involves Gimpo City taking the lead in covering its share of the costs, which are jointly borne by Gyeonggi Province and Gimpo City, and demonstrates the city's commitment to urging Gyeonggi Province to quickly establish a plan to share transportation expenses.

Mayor Kim Byungsoo stated, "As the mayor of Gimpo, I have long reflected on the difficulties faced by our citizens. I could not leave the unfair burden caused by Gimpo being excluded from basic transportation rights solely on the shoulders of our residents, so I made this difficult decision. Now, the city will step up to alleviate the longstanding challenges faced by our citizens."

The city plans to enact a related ordinance by the end of this year to provide a legal basis for the support, and in the first half of next year, will work with Ilsan Bridge Co., Ltd. to establish a system that links vehicle registration information with toll records. With this system in place, full-scale support is expected to begin as early as the second half of next year.

Gimpo City has continuously worked with Gyeonggi Province to make the Ilsan Bridge toll free, but due to the business structure and financial conditions, it has been difficult to achieve this in the short term. Therefore, until toll-free passage is finalized, the city plans to partially subsidize the toll to alleviate the transportation costs that citizens feel most acutely.

The subsidy will apply to vehicles registered in Gimpo City that use Ilsan Bridge during weekday commuting hours, excluding weekends and public holidays. Currently, the toll for Ilsan Bridge is 1,200 won, and with the subsidy, Gimpo residents will only pay 600 won, which is 50% of the fee. The support will be provided for one round trip per vehicle per day. The city will first implement the program for commuting hours and gradually expand it in the future.

Currently, the average daily traffic volume on Ilsan Bridge is about 80,000 vehicles, and there are approximately 250,000 vehicles registered in Gimpo City. The city expects that this toll subsidy will not only reduce transportation costs for residents but also improve traffic flow and alleviate congestion on nearby arterial roads.

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