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Seoul city bus union to resume work-to-rule protest Wednesday morning

Published: 06 May. 2025, 21:27

People wait for a bus in Seoul on April 30. [NEWS1]

The Seoul city bus union will resume its work-to-rule protest beginning with the first buses on Wednesday, prompting the city to implement contingency transportation measures.

“The city bus union has announced plans to resume work-to-rule action starting with the first service on May 7,” the Seoul Metropolitan Government said in a statement Tuesday. “We have prepared special transport measures to minimize inconvenience for passengers.”

A work-to-rule protest involves drivers strictly adhering to traffic laws — including not departing until all passengers are seated and refraining from overtaking other buses — effectively causing service delays.

This will be the second protest of its kind in recent weeks. Last Wednesday, the union carried out a similar protest for a day after wage and collective bargaining talks with management broke down. The buses returned to normal service over the extended holiday period from Thursday to Tuesday.

In response to the renewed protest, the city will extend subway rush hour operations by one hour, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., and add 47 extra trips for Lines 1 through 8 and the Ui-Sinseol Line. However, city-operated shuttle buses will not be deployed as severe congestion did not occur during the previous protest.

City officials will also be stationed at key stops along dedicated median bus lanes to monitor and intervene in cases of unnecessary stops or intentional delays. A real-time monitoring system will track bus operations.

The city has also opened a public reporting channel. Passengers who experience inconvenience due to intentional delays can file reports by calling the 120 Dasan Call Center.

“We will do everything we can to ensure that the public does not face disruptions in their use of public transit,” said Yeo Jang-kwon, head of the city’s transportation division.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY HAN EUN-HWA [[email protected]]