Seoul abandons failed measure to ease downtown's bus stop chaos

Social Affairs

Published: 14 Jan. 2024, 08:00 Updated: 15 Jan. 2024, 16:09

Seoul abandons failed measure to ease downtown's bus stop chaos

A traffic controller guides intercity buses stopping at the busy bus stop in Myeong-dong, downtown Seoul, located across from Lotte Young Plaza, at around 7 p.m. Wednesday. [MOON HEE-CHUL]

The traffic chaos that stranded commuters in downtown Seoul earlier in the month was alleviated after the Seoul Metropolitan Government scrapped its plan to install conspicuous intercity bus signs in Myeong-dong for the sake of safety during rush hours. However, the intercity buses still endlessly queued to take on passengers during the evening rush hour on Wednesday.

Seoul Mayor Oh says sorry after intercity bus signs cause traffic chaos

“It took nearly an hour going to Namdaemun from Myeong-dong last week when heavy snow arrived,” a commuter told the JoongAng Ilbo at around 7 p.m. near the troublesome intercity bus stop in Jung District, central Seoul, located across from Lotte Young Plaza. “The traffic is not as heavy right now, but when has this place been without so much traffic?” the commuter asked, adding that waiting long for buses has become an ordinary routine after work.

The commuter takes the intercity bus to travel from Yongin in Gyeonggi to Seoul.

On Wednesday, the traffic was not too heavy as traffic controllers were dispatched to the area. However, the endless line of big buses continued.

During the morning and evening rush hours, the downtown area of Seoul, including near Myeong-dong, Euljiro and Seoul Station, is filled with both city and intercity buses.

Intercity buses traveling from Gyeonggi to Seoul form a long line in Myeong-dong, central Seoul, on Wednesday. [MOON HEE-CHUL]

Roads near the area are usually congested because of buses stopped at the bus transfer center in Seoul Station and intercity buses coming from neighboring Gyeonggi and Incheon.

The traffic became even worse when the Seoul city government decided to install standing intercity bus signs at the busy Myeong-dong stop on Dec. 27. The city government introduced its plan due to complaints about overcrowding and safety concerns over passengers hurriedly swarming buses when they appeared. Around 200 meters (656 feet) of the area is used as the bus stop.

Additionally, some complained that bus drivers sometimes departed without seeing that more passengers needed to get on board because of the chaos.

That is why the city government came up with an ambitious plan to install bus signs to let both bus drivers and passengers see where they should stop and wait. However, the city government wasn’t able to predict that extreme traffic congestion was waiting behind the grand plan.

Most intercity buses that come downtown pass through the Namsan Tunnel in Hannam-dong. Buses in the same bus lane need to wait until the bus in front of them leaves for them to stop where the bus signs are. There is usually only one bus lane per road in the downtown area.

The long queue of buses in the area can freeze the traffic from Jongno to Namdaemun Market, Sungnyemun and Seoul Station.

“During rush hours, it is way faster to walk than to commute on buses,” a commuter told the JoongAng Ilbo reporter at the bus transfer center in Seoul Station.

An employee at the Seoul Metropolitan Government posts a notice that the intercity bus signs will not be used through this month at the busy Myeong-dong bus stop in central Seoul on Jan. 5. [YONHAP]

The capital decided to delay the measure this month and took down the signs on Jan. 5, over a week after their initial implementation. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon officially apologized to the commuters a day later.

While promising to come up with more effective measures, the city government decided to modify the routes of six different buses traveling Suwon and Gyeonggi from Seoul by engaging in talks with the Metropolitan Transport Commission under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the provincial government of Gyeonggi. Traffic controllers will be found in the bus stop area for safety.

The metropolitan government will also propose diverting five other buses, ending their routes at Euljiro or Jongno and heading back to Gyeonggi from there. The city government expects the number of passengers in the area to drop by 40 percent to around 5,800 commuters a day if the proposed adjustments are made.

An official at the city government said that the latest measure would have worked fine if the roads were wider and the traffic volume was better. Around 9,500 passengers are picked up and dropped off at the Myeong-dong bus stop every day.

Commuters wait for their buses after work in Myeong-dong, downtown Seoul on Wednesday. [MOON HEE-CHUL]

The city government plans to come up with alternative measures after monitoring the site, listening to commuters’ thoughts and talking with related authorities, including the bus operators and the Metropolitan Transport Commission.

Meanwhile, the city government on Thursday rolled out additional measures to alleviate overcrowding at the bus stop in front of Inje University Seoul Paik Hospital.

Around 28 different intercity buses traveling from Gyeonggi to Seoul stop in the area. The capital began deploying two traffic-controlling personnel in the area from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and plans to divert 10 intercity bus routes that pass the place.

BY MOON HEE-CHUL,CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]