Busan University of Foreign Studies Employee Reported for Breach of Duty for Paying Monthly Lease Fee on Non-Operating Bus
Bus Company Struggles with Fluctuating Bus and Driver Numbers While Maintenance Costs Remain Unchanged
[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] What should be done about the shuttle bus rental fees for buses that did not operate due to ‘COVID-19 non-face-to-face classes’?
The results are drawing attention as a university in Busan has reported the staff responsible for the shuttle bus contract.
Busan University of Foreign Studies filed a complaint with the prosecution earlier this month against three general affairs officers who paid the rental fees in full to the shuttle bus company that did not operate even once for over two months due to non-face-to-face classes.
The Geumjeong Police Station in Busan is currently investigating the case at the investigation department.
The Geumjeong Police Station is examining whether the three university officials who paid 100% of the rental fees for five months despite the shuttle buses not operating properly are guilty of breach of trust in the course of their duties.
Busan University of Foreign Studies conducted non-face-to-face classes from March to May 10 this year due to COVID-19. During this period, the shuttle buses were hardly operated.
Even after face-to-face classes began around May, the number of bus operations was reduced from the original 131 times to between 22 and 55 times.
The university’s audit office judged that although the contract allowed the shuttle bus company to request a reduction in the number of buses and fees, the general affairs office did not make such a request, resulting in misuse of school funds, and requested an investigation.
A police official said they are investigating the allegation that despite a significant decrease in operations, the university continued to pay the full monthly service fee of 44 million KRW without any reduction.
The shuttle bus company reacted strongly. The company claims that despite unfair contracts over the past five years with Busan University of Foreign Studies, they have endured and operated.
Separately from this case, it is known that since early last year, the university and the company have been in conflict over the 2019 minimum wage increase.
The bus company argues that since the 2018 bid price was below the minimum wage, they should receive retroactive payments plus the minimum wage increase, but the university has not accepted this.
Busan University of Foreign Studies and the bus company have been in conflict over this issue for over a year, and with the outbreak of COVID-19 earlier this year and the shuttle bus operation issues overlapping, the situation has become more complicated.
According to the bus company, they voiced their grievances about the unfair contract, but the university did not listen. They said they had to maintain the contract every year to cover investment costs for vehicles and drivers, so they endured the situation reluctantly.
The bus company stated that although shuttle bus operations decreased this year due to COVID-19, all vehicles and drivers remained on standby. Except for fuel costs, maintenance costs remained the same.
Nevertheless, the university only points out the reduction in vehicle operations, the bus company representative lamented.
Busan University of Foreign Studies stated, “If the contract terms were unfair, they should not have participated in the bidding. It is incomprehensible to complain about unfairness now.”
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