A new village bus route will be added in Eco Delta City, located in Busan's Gangseo District.
As residents have expressed concerns about public transport accessibility due to ongoing move-ins, the city of Busan has decided to deploy four additional village buses.
The plan is to begin operations in early next year following the selection of an operator and the signing of agreements.
The demand for expanded public transport has led to numerous complaints. During the month of June, over 100 requests for increased public transport in Eco Delta City were submitted to the 'Busan Revitalization Committee,' which was established to address local issues before the inauguration of Mayor Jeon Jae-soo.
Busan will announce the selection of candidates for the 'Eco Delta City Village Bus Route Operation and Integrated Management Agreement' on the 30th.
The new route will include four buses, including a reserve vehicle. Currently, there is only one village bus route passing through Eco Delta City, and the new route will increase that number to two.
The route will connect Eco Delta City with the Gangseo District Office. While considering transfers to Line 3 of the urban subway and the Busan-Gimhae Light Rail, specific stops and the operational method within Eco Delta City will be proposed by the selected operator in their business plan.
A representative from Busan's Bus Operations and Route Facilities Team stated, "We have designed the route to connect the Gangseo District Office and Eco Delta City, and the operator will determine how to operate within Eco Delta City. The announcement period is one month as per regulations, and since the agreement will also take time, we are working to ensure operations begin as soon as possible in early next year."
The exact number of buses that will be in regular operation and the frequency of service will be determined after the selection process. The city anticipates that the new route will reduce travel time from Eco Delta City to Line 3 by more than 10 minutes.
Under an integrated management agreement established in 2010 between Busan City, Gangseo District, and the Village Bus Association, the number of village buses in the area has been limited to 64, with financial support provided to operators for losses incurred from transporting passengers in underdeveloped public transport areas.
With the addition of four buses for the Eco Delta City route, this will mark the first increase in village buses in the Gangseo area since the implementation of the integrated management system, occurring for the first time in 17 years.
The total number of vehicles will increase from 64 to 68. The selected operator will receive support for transport losses after amending the integrated management agreement. However, the route will be operated temporarily to adapt to changes in traffic conditions in Eco Delta City.
The selection process is limited to operators of city village bus routes that have not been in operation for an extended period due to redevelopment or changes in traffic conditions.
Instead of withdrawing vehicles from currently operating routes, the plan is to transfer idle vehicles to meet the increased demand in Eco Delta City, ensuring that existing route users do not experience inconvenience.
Hwang Hyun-cheol, Director of Busan's Transportation Bureau, stated, "This Eco Delta City village bus route selection project is a new challenge to flexibly respond to transportation demands across the city within limited resources. We will continue to do our best to minimize public transport inconveniences for residents of Eco Delta City and provide a more convenient transportation environment."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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