Seoul tries, again, to ease overcrowding at intercity bus stops

Social Affairs

Published: 22 Feb. 2024, 15:32 Updated: 22 Feb. 2024, 15:37

Seoul tries, again, to ease overcrowding at intercity bus stops

Commuters crowd a bus stop near the National Tax Service's Namdaemun District Office in Jung District, central Seoul, during afternoon rush hours on Jan. 11. [YONHAP]

The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Thursday unveiled measures to alleviate overcrowding and traffic congestion near intercity bus stops.

The city’s new measures, which include installing new bus stops and dispatching traffic-controlling agents, came as the metropolitan government scrapped the installation of conspicuous intercity bus signs near the crowded station in the Myeong-dong area last month.

According to the metropolitan government, two stops will be added near the busy Myeong-dong bus station starting this Saturday. The bus stop is located across from Lotte Young Plaza in central Seoul.

Seven intercity buses will begin passing these two new stops on Saturday.

Five buses, including the M5107 and M5115 travelling through Suwon in Gyeonggi, will pass the new Gwanggyo bus stop between Jonggak Station and Euljiro 1-ga Station. The other two buses — No. 4108 and M4108 — will stop by the new Myeong-dong stop a few meters from the original spot.

The Seoul Institute’s simulation predicts that with the city government’s new measures, bus queues will shorten from 312 meters (1,023 feet) to 93 meters. Additionally, travel speed in the area is expected to increase from 17.9 kilometers per hour (11.1 miles per hour) to 21.7 kilometers per hour.

The metropolitan government also plans to alleviate traffic near the National Tax Service’s Namdaemun District Office in downtown Seoul by allowing 10 buses to stop at a new station, following discussions with the provincial government of Gyeonggi this month.

The University of Seoul's analysis of the effects of installing the bus stop anticipates travel time along Samil-daero, which connects from Hannam-dong in Yongsan District through Jae-dong in Jongno District, downtown Seoul, will decrease by around 5 percent.

Transfer of bus stops and adjustment of routes near highly congested areas, including Gangnam Station, Sinnonhyeon Station and Sadang Station in southern Seoul, will be discussed with neighboring Gyeonggi, the city government said.

Traffic-controlling agents have already been deployed to Sinnonhyeon Station and Sadang Station during afternoon rush hours from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The city government said on Thursday that adjusting bus routes will take some time as it needs to discuss the matter with related authorities, including the Metropolitan Transport Commission under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and the provincial government of Gyeonggi.

Last month, commuters experienced extreme traffic chaos during rush hours at the Myeong-dong bus stop after the city government installed conspicuous intercity bus signs for safety on Dec. 27 last year.

The signs were taken down in just over a week as large intercity buses formed a line of more than 200 meters long in the area during afternoon rush hours. The sign installation came amid growing safety concerns with the increased number of buses stopping at the location.

Around 9,500 passengers are picked up and dropped off at the Myeong-dong bus stop every day, according to the city government.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]