Will the Hangang Amphibious Bus Become an Alternative to the Gimpo Gold Line?

Seoul City is considering the introduction of amphibious buses as a measure to address overcrowding during rush hours on the Gimpo Gold Line light rail in Gimpo City. Amphibious buses are transportation vehicles capable of operating both on water and land.

Since Olympic-daero, which connects Gimpo and Seoul, experiences severe congestion, the plan is to use the waterway of the Han River to avoid this and disperse traffic demand. Attention is focused on whether this can be an alternative to alleviate Gimpo's traffic difficulties until projects like the 'Seoul Subway Line 5 extension to Gimpo' are realized.

As part of measures to ease congestion on the Gimpo Gold Line, Seoul City is actively considering the introduction of amphibious buses with a capacity of over 40 passengers. The amphibious bus would depart from Gimpo, use the Han River waterway to reach the Han River Park pier, and then use roads from Han River Park to nearby subway stations.

An amphibious bus test drive event is taking place around the Suyeongman Yacht Marina in Haeundae-gu, Busan.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

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There is an advantage in that it can operate directly without transfers between waterway and land routes. The city is preparing specific implementation plans, including linking the Gimpo Ara Waterway and Seoul Port.

So far, amphibious buses have mainly been used for tourism purposes. Currently, in South Korea, they are operated only for tourism in Buyeo, Chungnam, and have never been used for commuting purposes.

The idea of introducing amphibious buses for commuting is not new. In 2021, 28 members of the Democratic Party in the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly passed a resolution urging the introduction of Han River amphibious buses to alleviate traffic congestion for residents commuting to Seoul.

Seoul City also announced in 2015 plans to operate amphibious buses connecting Hongdae and Yeouido Han River Parks. However, the project was scrapped due to concerns over safety accidents and economic feasibility during the promotion process. In the same year, a private company operated amphibious buses for tourism on the Gyeongin Ara Waterway but ceased operations after five months due to financial difficulties.

While amphibious buses have the advantage of using both waterways and roads, there is a problem securing economic feasibility. They must comply with both the Automobile Management Act and the Ship Act, and drivers must hold both a Class 5 maritime officer license and a bus driving license. Another issue is that operations may be disrupted depending on weather conditions such as severe weather.

Former People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok pointed out in a Facebook post, "(Amphibious buses) would have a navigation speed of about 15?20 km/h even at maximum speed, so it would take two hours from Gimpo to Yeouido," suggesting that it would be impractical as a commuting transportation method.

However, since there are no suitable realistic measures to solve the overcrowding on the Gimpo Gold Line, the city is considering the introduction of amphibious buses as one alternative. Seoul City and Gimpo City have stated their intention to actively cooperate for the extension of Seoul Subway Line 5 to Gimpo, but it is expected to take several years until actual opening.

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