Seoul trials quality-of-life updates for city's Bus Information Terminals

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Seoul trials quality-of-life updates for city's Bus Information Terminals

Published: 30 May. 2025, 17:46

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

A Bus Information Terminal electric display with improved lettering and images is seen at a bus stop in Seoul [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

Seoul’s Bus Information Terminals (BITs) will be changed to make checking bus arrival times more convenient for passengers, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on Friday.

As of this year, Seoul operates 5,816 BITs, of which around 4,048 are managed directly by the city. The BITs help older adults and digitally marginalized individuals by clearly displaying approaching bus numbers.

BITs to be improved

To make incoming buses easier to identify, the city has enhanced the display of the phrase “arriving soon.” Instead of showing the phrase as text only, it is now accompanied by a bus-shaped icon. Public design principles were also applied to simplify and optimize the display layout.

Additionally, a software update has been implemented to allow the “arriving soon” text, which was previously fixed at the beginning of a yellow-bordered section below the screen, to scroll alongside the bus route number. This change allows one more route to be displayed at a time.

Audio announcements were also updated for safer boarding. Redundant information was minimized, and safety announcements were added. The Korean pronunciation of the hyphen symbol was changed from “dashi” to “daeshi” for clarity.

Currently, these updates are being piloted at central bus lane terminals, with plans to complete the rollout citywide by the end of the year.

A Bus Information Terminal electric display is seen at a bus stop in Gwanghwamun in Jongno District, central Seoul on May 7. [YONHAP]

To ensure visibility even in inclement weather such as rain or fine dust, seasonal cleaning and maintenance were carried out. BIT screens were cleaned to remove dust and illegal advertisements, and were treated with a water-repellent coating — typically used for car windshields — was applied to both sides of the glass.

“The coating reduces water spots and is relatively resistant to contamination, which improves visibility,” said a city official.

Village bus BITs to be acquired by districts

Seoul also introduced a unified management system for village bus BITs, previously maintained jointly by the 25 district offices and the village bus transportation cooperatives.

Under the old system, village bus companies installed the BITs and managed them together with the districts. However, aging devices and poor functionality led to issues with reliability and accuracy.

Seoul city buses are parked at a lot in downtown Seoul on May 28. [YONHAP]

The city will now have the districts assume full responsibility for managing these terminals. To support the transition, the city will allocate a special grant of 5.7 billion won ($4.19 million) to the districts.

All village bus BITs previously installed by cooperatives will be replaced. The new units will be equipped with Seoul’s own “village bus BIT software,” which will offer improved arrival time accuracy and additional features for real-time alerts and promotions.

“Because BITs are among the most frequently used transportation facilities by Seoul residents, we are working to make them more user-friendly and accessible,” said Yeo Jang-kwon, head of the city’s transportation office.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY MOON HEE-CHUL [[email protected]]