Muju County to Launch "Free Rural Bus Transfer System" Next Month

"Improving Transportation Convenience and Reducing Transportation Costs"

The "Free Rural Bus Transfer System" (hereinafter referred to as the Free Transfer System) in Muju County, North Jeolla Province, will be officially implemented starting November 1.

According to the county on October 20, the Free Transfer System is a policy aimed at improving transportation convenience for residents and alleviating transportation costs. Under this system, passengers can transfer between rural buses and the Haengbok Call Bus operating within the county without incurring any additional fare.

Exterior view of the Muju County Office. Provided by Muju County

There are 20 rural buses and 20 Haengbok Call Buses in operation, serving six towns and townships. A total of 61 routes run daily, with an average of approximately 4,000 passengers using the service each day.

Passengers pay once with a transportation card upon their initial boarding. If they transfer to another rural bus or Haengbok Call Bus within 60 minutes, no additional fare will be charged.

Within the county, up to two transfers are allowed, and in the adjacent Ancheon-myeon area of Jinan County, one transfer is permitted, allowing for a total of up to three free transfers. However, those who pay with cash are not eligible for the free transfer benefit.

Hwang Inhong, the county governor, stated, "The Free Rural Bus Transfer System is a representative, resident-focused transportation welfare policy that can be directly felt by the people. We expect it will significantly contribute to improving transportation welfare by reducing transportation costs for residents, increasing public transportation usage and convenience of travel between regions, and strengthening the mobility rights of residents in transportation-vulnerable areas."

He added, "From the early stages of implementation, we will carefully gather feedback from the field to ensure stable operation of the Free Transfer System. We will continue to accelerate the implementation of transportation policies that enhance the daily convenience of our residents."

Meanwhile, the transportation cards eligible for free transfers on the rural buses and Haengbok Call Buses operated by the county include postpaid credit and debit cards, prepaid rechargeable cards that can be purchased and recharged at convenience stores, and nationwide compatible transportation cards such as T-money.

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