Regarding recent reports treating subway fare hikes as a fait accompli, Transportation Committee Chair Woo Hyung-chan expressed criticism... Especially criticizing the lack of discussion at the committee level... "With citizens suffering greatly from the spread of COVID-19, how can there be a transportation fare increase?" he condemned.
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Kim In-ho, Chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, is seriously angry.
Chairman Kim's anger is related to recent reports that the public transportation fares for buses and subways have been finalized for an increase.
In particular, he could not hide his anger, saying "What is this about?" after it was reported that Transportation Committee Chairman Woo Hyung-chan revealed in a media interview that an agreement had been reached to raise public transportation fares by around 200 to 300 won.
On the 25th, Chairman Kim stated, "The report that Seoul City and the Seoul Metropolitan Council have agreed to raise public transportation fares for buses and subways by 200 to 300 won is not true."
He pointed out that given the recent continued spread of COVID-19 in the metropolitan area and the elevation to social distancing level 2, which is severely impacting the national and low-income economy, it is not timely to raise public transportation fares.
Chairman Kim said that due to the sharp decline in the number of passengers caused by COVID-19, the deficits of the Seoul Transportation Corporation, city buses, and village buses have greatly increased, and while he is carefully monitoring the resulting crisis in the public transportation system, considering the unprecedented economic crisis and difficult conditions citizens are facing due to COVID-19, it is not appropriate to pass the burden of the public transportation industry's deficits onto the citizens.
Chairman Kim also stated that neither the fact that Seoul City and the council agreed on a public transportation fare increase nor the fact that he was informed of such an agreement is true, and he criticized that raising such a significant issue publicly without even holding a single public hearing to gather citizens' opinions indicates a serious problem in the Seoul City system.
He emphasized the need for Seoul City to hold a public hearing to listen to citizens' opinions on public transportation fares after the COVID-19 situation has somewhat settled and citizens' lives have recovered, and to thoroughly review whether raising fares is appropriate in terms of timing and amount.
On the 26th, Chairman Kim said that the priority is for Seoul City to actively devise measures so that the lives of citizens, who are struggling to overcome difficult times due to COVID-19, can stabilize as soon as possible.
Despite this, he strongly reprimanded Chairman Woo of the Transportation Committee for unilaterally assuming the fare increase as a fait accompli without any consultation.
In particular, it is known that Chairman Woo did not exchange opinions with other council members through the Seoul City Transportation Committee, raising interest in the background as to why Chairman Woo is pushing forward so hastily.
A member of the Transportation Committee said, "It is problematic to treat this as a fait accompli when there has been no discussion at the committee level."
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