Hanam City Invests 1.52 Billion Won in K-Pass and Climate Companion Card Payback to Counter High Oil Prices

Hanam City in Gyeonggi Province is implementing a public transportation support policy totaling 1.52 billion won to help alleviate the economic burden on citizens caused by high oil prices and rising inflation.

A view of Hanam City Hall. Provided by Hanam City

This initiative aligns with the government's additional K-Pass off-peak fare reimbursements and Seoul City's temporary Climate Companion Card payback policy, with a focus on reducing citizens' actual transportation expenses.

The city has urgently allocated a budget of 1.25 billion won for the second supplementary budget to expand K-Pass reimbursements. This increased funding from Hanam City comes as the government has decided to raise the reimbursement rate for public transportation used during certain hours from April to September, over a period of six months.

The additional reimbursement applies to the following periods: 5:30 a.m. to 6:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Using public transportation during these times provides an extra 30% added to the existing reimbursement rate.

For example, if an ordinary citizen commutes round-trip during the off-peak periods for 20 days in a month (a total of 40 rides, with each fare being 1,500 won), they previously received 12,000 won back out of a total cost of 60,000 won. Going forward, they will be reimbursed 30,000 won. Under the same conditions, young people, seniors, and households with two children will receive 36,000 won, while households with three or more children and low-income households will benefit by about 50,000 won, substantially reducing their transportation costs.

Additionally, reimbursement criteria for the K-Pass fixed-rate program, known as "Everyone's Card," will be significantly expanded by more than 50%. Under the basic version of "Everyone's Card," which offers unlimited use of public transportation (excluding metropolitan express buses) for a set monthly fee, ordinary citizens previously paid 62,000 won per month. During the expanded period, the card will be available for 30,000 won. Furthermore, young people, seniors, and households with two children can use the card for 25,000 won, while households with three or more children and low-income households can use it for 22,000 won.

An additional 270 million won will also be invested to support participation in Seoul City's Climate Companion Card. For three months from April to June, users who purchase and use a 30-day Climate Companion Card will receive a 30,000 won cash payback.

Given that the 30-day pass for ordinary citizens costs 62,000 won, the actual out-of-pocket expense after reimbursement will be 32,000 won. This is expected to reduce transportation costs by about 50%, likely generating a strong response from citizens commuting to Seoul.

A Hanam City official said, "We hope this support will provide tangible help to citizens struggling with high oil prices and inflation," adding, "We will continue to pursue transportation support policies that citizens can truly feel in their daily lives."

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