The off-peak commuting incentive for public transport users, which allows refunds of up to 83.3% of transportation costs, will be extended through the end of the year. However, the 'half-price Everyone's Card' benefit, which reduced the flat rate refund threshold by half, will conclude as scheduled after September usage.
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Metropolitan Transport Committee on September 28, the additional 30 percentage point refund for using public transport during off-peak hours will continue until December. The applicable times are: 5:30 AM to 6:30 AM, 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM, 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM, and 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM.
The Everyone's Card is part of a revamped K-Pass system introduced earlier this year. It is a transportation welfare policy that refunds 100% of any public transport costs exceeding a set threshold. The off-peak incentive aims to reduce congestion during peak commuting hours.
The refund rates for off-peak commuting hours remain at 50% for the general public, 60% for youth, families with two children, and seniors, 80% for families with three or more children, and 83.3% for low-income households. Outside of off-peak hours, the existing refund rates of 20%, 30%, 50%, and 53.3% will apply. The government plans to continue the off-peak benefits next year, having included the relevant budget in the 2027 government budget proposal.
Since the implementation of the additional benefits, the amount refunded to users has increased. The average monthly refund per person rose from 20,700 won before the program to 41,300 won afterward, nearly doubling. The number of people receiving refunds also increased from an average of 2.83 million to 3.46 million, an increase of 630,000. According to the committee, the proportion of public transport costs refunded for Everyone's Card users rose from 31% before the additional benefits to about 60% afterward.
While overall daily public transport usage increased by 25.4%, the volume during peak commuting hours rose by 20.7%. The share of daily traffic accounted for by peak commuting hours decreased from 49.55% to 47.67%, a drop of 1.88 percentage points.
The Everyone's Card, which expands the benefits of the existing K-Pass, has been adopted by all 229 local governments nationwide since February. As of April, there were 5.087 million users, according to committee statistics. The government introduced the additional benefits for six months in response to high fuel prices, which included a 50% reduction in the flat rate refund threshold and an additional 30 percentage point refund for off-peak hours. With this decision, only the off-peak benefits will continue until the end of the year.
The flat rate refund benefit, which was reduced by half, will only apply to September usage as originally planned. The committee, along with the Korea Transportation Safety Authority and card companies, will inform users of the changes through the Everyone's Card website, app, and card company notifications to avoid confusion during the transition.
Kim Yong-seok, the committee chair, stated, "The additional benefits over the past six months have contributed to reducing transportation costs and increasing public transport usage. We will continue to analyze usage data and demand changes by time of day to develop support measures going forward."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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