Seoul to Add Bus, Subway Service; Expands Off-Peak Commute Fare Refunds

The government will increase bus and rail service during rush hours to ease crowding and expand fare refunds for commuters who travel earlier or later than usual under staggered work hours. Public agencies will be urged to have at least 30% of employees participate in staggered commuting, and the government will encourage private companies to adopt flexible work arrangements.
 
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said it announced a joint plan with nine related ministries on the 28th at the Government Complex Sejong to reduce congestion on public transportation during commuting hours.
 
The plan includes 32 tasks in four areas: expanding transit supply, spreading out commuting demand, discouraging car use and running a public campaign.
 
Service will be expanded on heavily crowded routes in the Seoul metropolitan area. On weekdays, Seoul will add four more runs on 196 city bus routes and on the Shinbundang Line section between Jeongja and Sinsa. Subway service will also increase by 18 runs on parts of Lines 2 and 7, including the Sadang-Bangbae and Cheolsan-Gasan Digital Complex sections.
 
Five stations with concentrated demand for Gyeongin Line express trains — Daebang, Singil, Gaebong, Dongam and Jemulpo — will get 15 additional daily stops.
 
If the national oil alert is raised to the highest level, “severe,” the government will also pursue intensive dispatching of urban rail and buses comparable to measures taken during a city bus strike.
 
By 2029, the government will provide 40.9 billion won to the crowded Gimpo Goldline and Seoul subway Lines 4, 7 and 9, and will push to shorten headways by introducing domestically developed communications-based train control, or CBTC.
 
In September, the government will cut by 50% the spending threshold used to calculate refunds under the public transit reimbursement service “Moduui Card” (flat-rate K-Pass). For riders who use public transportation during designated off-peak windows around rush hour, the refund rate will rise by 30 percentage points.
 
Flexible work in the public sector — including staggered hours and telework — will be strengthened in stages. The plan recommends applying staggered commuting to at least 30% of public-sector workers. If the oil alert level rises, it recommends 50% participation and actively encourages working from home.
 
The government will also urge flexible work in the private sector by offering guidelines, incentives and consulting. It plans to encourage voluntary efforts to ease commuting congestion by reducing traffic-inducing charges for companies that cut vehicle use.
 
A public-sector odd-even driving restriction that began on the 8th will be expanded step by step to the private sector if the oil alert level is raised. The government also plans to launch, next month, an auto insurance rider that discounts premiums for vehicles participating in the program.
 
Land Minister Kim Yun-deok said the government will implement the added rail and bus service and expanded Moduui Card benefits without disruption, and that ministries and local governments will jointly inspect conditions and take immediate steps as needed to minimize commuting inconvenience. He also urged public cooperation to help overcome what he called an energy crisis, even if it causes some inconvenience.