Gyeonggi Province to Raise City Bus Fares for First Time in Six Years... Standard Buses Up 200 Won from the 25th

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Gyeonggi Province will adjust city bus fares starting from the first bus on the 25th to improve the challenging management conditions of the province's bus industry and to ensure the stable provision of public transportation services.

Gyeonggi Province will adjust city bus fares starting from the first bus on the 25th. Photo by Gyeonggi Province

This is the first adjustment of city bus fares in six years since September 2019. The fares for standard and seat buses will each increase by 200 won, while the fares for express seat buses and Gyeonggi circulator buses will each rise by 400 won.

Gyeonggi Province plans to minimize the fare burden on residents through "The Gyeonggi Pass," which refunds 20% to 53% of the monthly usage amount for residents aged 19 and older. Starting from July 2025, "The Gyeonggi Pass" also provides an additional benefit of a full refund for those who use the service more than 61 times per month.

For example, if a Gyeonggi resident in their 30s, working as an office worker, commutes 20 days a month and takes a metropolitan bus 40 times, their monthly transportation cost would increase from 112,000 won (2,800 won per ride) before the fare hike to 128,000 won (3,200 won per ride) after the increase. However, with a 30% refund for those in their 30s, the monthly transportation cost would be reduced to 89,600 won (2,240 won per ride) through "The Gyeonggi Pass," even after the fare increase.

Gyeonggi Province explained that after holding a public hearing in July and gathering opinions from representatives of consumer groups, industry stakeholders, and experts, as well as recently collecting feedback from the provincial council and undergoing a review by the Consumer Policy Committee, the decision to adjust fares was made.

Despite rising prices, increased wages for transportation workers, and changes in demand, Gyeonggi Province has frozen city bus fares since September 2019. Notably, even when Seoul and Incheon, which participate in the metropolitan integrated transfer discount system, raised their city bus fares in 2023, the province maintained the fare freeze to alleviate the transportation cost burden for residents.

The province stated that this fare adjustment was an unavoidable decision, considering factors such as rising fuel prices and wages, expanded investment in vehicle and safety equipment improvements, and the expansion of the metropolitan transportation network.

Due to the continuous decline in the number of bus passengers, the transportation industry has been accumulating annual operating deficits, making it impossible to provide stable service frequencies and maintain regular intervals between buses. In particular, rising wages for transportation workers and increased fuel and maintenance costs have exacerbated management difficulties, leading to a vicious cycle of reduced bus operations and workforce attrition.

According to a research study commissioned by Gyeonggi Province last year, the cumulative operating deficit of bus transport companies in the province for 2023 and 2024 was estimated at approximately 170 billion won, and the cumulative deficit is projected to reach 380 billion won by 2026.

In response, the province is adjusting the fare increase to minimize the burden on residents as much as possible, while also implementing various policies to expand tangible transportation welfare for residents, rather than simply raising fares.

First, the province plans to implement a public management system for city buses to eradicate the four main complaints-bypassing stops, unkindness, reckless driving, and violation of bus intervals-by strengthening undercover inspections for bypassing stops, introducing a friendly driver certification system, imposing administrative penalties for violations, and enhancing the service evaluation system, so that the transportation industry can voluntarily participate in service improvement.

The province will also monitor whether improvements for city bus services-such as enhancing the complaint handling process within the transportation industry, strengthening customer service training for transportation workers, and upgrading onboard facilities-are being effectively implemented.

Additionally, the province plans to minimize the transportation cost burden on residents resulting from the fare increase through "The Gyeonggi Pass" and the "Children and Youth Transportation Cost Support Program." The "Children and Youth Transportation Cost Support Program," which fully refunds transportation costs up to 240,000 won per year for residents aged 6 to 18, will provide transportation cost coupons within the local currency app starting in October 2025, to facilitate the reuse of refunded transportation costs currently paid in local currency.

Kim Gwangdeok, Director of Transportation for Gyeonggi Province, said, "We have inevitably decided to adjust fares to ensure the stable operation of city buses, which are the mainstay of public transportation for ordinary citizens," adding, "We will implement policies to enhance the quality of service that residents experience, thereby increasing satisfaction relative to cost."

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