Gyeonggi Province Finds Widespread Deficiencies in Accessibility Facilities at Bus Stops

Gyeonggi Province Inspects 43 Bus Stops Across 9 Cities
Not a Single Location Meets Legal Installation Standards
Lack of Tactile Paving, Defective Blocks, and Insufficient Wheelchair Access Spaces

Gyeonggi Province conducted a joint inspection of 43 bus stops across 9 cities and counties from September 17 to October 1, 2025, aiming to improve public transportation accessibility for those with mobility challenges. The inspection revealed that all 43 locations failed to meet legal installation standards, such as improper sidewalk and roadway heights.

Gyeonggi Province conducted a joint inspection of 43 bus stops across 9 cities and counties from September 17 to October 1. The results showed that all 43 locations failed to meet the legal installation standards, such as improper sidewalk and roadway heights. Bus stops. Provided by Gyeonggi Province

This inspection was carried out jointly by Gyeonggi Province, nine cities including Suwon, Hwaseong, Siheung, Uijeongbu, and Gimpo, as well as the Gyeonggi-do Accessibility Facility Technical Support Center. The bus stops inspected were randomly selected from among those in the participating cities and counties.

Six criteria based on the Act on Promotion of Transportation Convenience for Mobility Disadvantaged Persons were reviewed, but none of the 43 bus stops met all six. Specifically, the height difference between the sidewalk and roadway should be 15 centimeters or less, but four locations exceeded this limit. In 24 stops, the required wheelchair turning radius (at least 1.8×1.8 meters) and entrance/exit space (at least 0.8 meters) were not secured.

In 35 locations, the tactile paving blocks meant to help visually impaired individuals detect the stop were either missing or defective. Additionally, 25 stops lacked adequate audio guidance on the Bus Information Terminal (BIT) or had call buttons installed at heights greater than 1.2 meters. In older downtown and rural areas, structural limitations such as narrow sidewalks and surrounding environments made facility improvements especially challenging.

Based on the inspection results, the province instructed that issues such as BIT audio volume adjustment and tactile block supplementation be addressed. For new bus stops, legal standards will be incorporated from the design stage, and customized designs will be applied in narrow areas as part of mid- to long-term improvement plans. Furthermore, Gyeonggi Province plans to expand specialized training and technical support for city and county officials, strengthen pre- and post-inspection systems, and continuously improve non-compliant facilities.

Lee Gwanhaeng, Director of the Bus Management Division at Gyeonggi Province, stated, "Bus stops are the first public facilities that people with mobility challenges encounter when using public transportation. Even small improvements can be strongly felt on site, so we will continue inspections and upgrades to ensure that all residents can use public transportation safely and conveniently."

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