Gwangju Saebit Call Users Still Dissatisfied with Dispatch Wait Times

City Council Releases Survey on Transportation Services for People with Mobility Challenges
High Satisfaction with Courtesy and Cleanliness, but Dispatch Delays Remain a Major Issue
"Gwangju City Must Improve User-Centered Service Quality"

Gwangju City Council building.

Users of 'Saebit Call,' a dedicated transportation service for people with mobility challenges in Gwangju, gave high marks to the overall operation of the service but still expressed significant dissatisfaction with dispatch wait times and the reliability of the AI-based automated dispatch system.

The Environment and Welfare Committee of the Gwangju City Council, chaired by Choi Jihyun, announced on October 30 the results of a survey conducted with approximately 350 Saebit Call users residing in Gwangju.

According to the survey, Saebit Call contributed to active mobility among citizens. The most common usage frequency was '1-2 times per month' at 38.1%, and 58.6% of users reported using the service at least once a week. The primary purpose of use was 'hospital visits' at 56.8%, followed by 'cultural and leisure activities' (21.7%), 'daily convenience such as grocery shopping' (14.8%), and 'commuting to work or school' (6.5%), indicating that the service has become an essential means of transportation for people with mobility challenges.

User satisfaction with the current dispatch system was relatively high at 60.2%, but 39.8% expressed dissatisfaction, suggesting that dispatch delays remain unresolved. Notably, 57.7% of respondents said they relied exclusively on operator-assisted dispatch, while only 22.9% used automated dispatch exclusively, indicating that the AI-based automated dispatch system has not been fully adopted. This points to a need for improvements in the technical stability and user convenience of the AI system.

Regarding vehicle arrival times, 58.6% of respondents reported waiting '30 minutes to less than 1 hour,' while as many as 41.4% said they waited more than 1 hour, highlighting the need to shorten wait times.

Overall satisfaction with the service was high at 82.9%, which was attributed to factors such as driver friendliness (92.5%) and vehicle cleanliness (96.7%). However, satisfaction with wait times was significantly lower at 38.1%, with as many as 61.9% expressing dissatisfaction, underscoring the urgent need to improve dispatch efficiency.

Choi Jihyun, Chair of the Environment and Welfare Committee, stated, "The results of this public opinion survey provide concrete indicators of the real inconveniences faced by people with mobility challenges," and called on Gwangju City to "focus on improving user-centered service quality by enhancing the technical aspects of the automated dispatch system, strengthening operator capabilities, and establishing a real-time response system."

Meanwhile, Seo Yonggyu, a member of the Environment and Welfare Committee, criticized the shortcomings of the Saebit Call AI-based automated dispatch system during a city administration inquiry in July, and has taken the lead in activities to guarantee mobility rights for people with transportation challenges, including launching a 'Policy Improvement Task Force Team for People with Mobility Challenges' in collaboration with the city administration and experts.

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