"Couldn't Even Use a Wheelchair"... Busan Launches Nation's First 'Bedridden Disabled Mobility Support Service'

Hospital Transportation for Severely Disabled Individuals Unable to Use Existing Duribal Service

Busan City will become the first local government in the country to equip its special transportation service for people with disabilities, Duribal, with a mobile stretcher bed, thereby providing mobility support for bedridden individuals with severe disabilities.

On January 27, Busan City (Mayor Park Hyungjoon) announced that it will launch the "Duribal Bedridden Disabled Mobility Support Service" starting February 2. This service is designed to assist individuals with severe mobility impairments who are bedridden and unable to use standard wheelchairs, supporting their transportation needs for hospital visits and rehabilitation treatments-something not possible with the existing Duribal service.

In December of last year, the city amended the "Busan Metropolitan City Ordinance on Improving Mobility Convenience for the Transportation Vulnerable" to include support for bedridden disabled individuals. The city also converted one multi-passenger Duribal vehicle into a special vehicle equipped with a mobile stretcher bed. Duribal is a special transportation service equipped with ramps and lifts to assist wheelchair boarding and disembarking.

A Duribal vehicle for mobility support services for bedridden disabled people, first introduced by Busan City among local governments.

A Duribal vehicle for mobility support services for bedridden disabled people, first introduced by Busan City among local governments.

The service is available to individuals with severe mobility impairments who are bedridden and registered as residents of Busan. The fare is 5,000 won per one-way trip, and users can travel to hospitals in the Busan area, including Yangsan Busan National University Hospital. A welfare manager and an assistant, both professionally trained, will accompany and support users during transportation.

In addition to Duribal, the city will also provide mobility support using private ambulance vehicles. Through a "two-track" system, users can utilize vehicles from private ambulance companies that have signed operational agreements with the city, enabling hospital transfers. The fare, eligibility, and number of uses are the same as those for the Duribal service.

Citizens wishing to use the service can register as members as severely mobility-impaired bedridden individuals from February 2, and must make a reservation 7 to 1 days in advance of the desired date of use.

Mayor Park Hyungjoon stated, "This service is a way to return the achievement of Duribal ranking first among local governments for four consecutive years in the lottery fund project evaluation to transportation-vulnerable individuals who have fallen through the cracks. We will continue to improve the quality of mobility services for the transportation disadvantaged."

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