Tourist Buses During Autumn Outing Season Raise Concerns Over Major Accidents Due to 'Drinking and Singing'
Crowded Close Together... Also Fears of COVID-19 Spread
There are also cases where karaoke machines are installed inside tour buses for singing. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] With the autumn foliage season approaching, the government has announced the 'Autumn Travel Quarantine Management Measures' due to concerns about the crowding of tourists using tour buses. According to the measures, charter bus operators are required to manage passenger lists obligatorily through electronic entry logs and other means.
In particular, if activities such as dancing or singing occur inside the bus, strict penalties including business suspension will be enforced. As a result, there is growing interest in whether the so-called 'tour bus drinking and dancing' can be eradicated. Drinking and dancing inside buses, such as dancing and holding drinking parties, have continuously been a social issue.
The so-called tour bus drinking and dancing refers to passengers gathered for the purpose of viewing autumn leaves or traveling on a bus running on the highway, engaging in rowdy dance parties. They dance and shake their bodies without regard for the narrow aisles of the bus.
Even on buses traveling at speeds of 100 kilometers per hour, karaoke machines are used to sing, and the bus lighting is changed to colorful lights like those in nightclubs during operation. Although the installation of karaoke accompaniment devices is prohibited on tour buses, all are violating this rule.
The problem is that breathing in such close proximity increases concerns about the spread of COVID-19. Apart from the risk of COVID-19 infection, drinking and dancing on tour buses can lead to sudden stops or accidents, resulting in large-scale casualties.
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the number of charter bus accidents during the autumn leisure season has been around 5,000 cases annually, with 5,520 in 2016, 5,483 in 2017, and 5,954 in 2018.
In 2017, about 1,000 tour bus drivers were caught neglecting passengers who caused disturbances such as drinking and dancing on highways in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions until October.
In particular, drinking and dancing inside buses are cited as major causes of bus accidents. When passengers leave their seats to dance or sing while the bus is in motion, it can distract the driver's concentration. Also, not wearing seat belts during sudden stops or turns can lead to major accidents.
The public's view is also critical. Mr. Lee, a company employee in his 30s, said, "The risk of a major accident is high, and it could immediately harm others," emphasizing, "I hope enforcement is strengthened."
Another company employee in his 40s, Mr. Kim, said, "I saw a shaking tour bus on the highway," adding, "It seemed like they were drinking and dancing inside." He criticized, "I don't understand how they can have fun like that on a shaking bus; it wouldn't be surprising if an accident happened right away."
Meanwhile, the government has requested that group autumn foliage trips designate a leader as a quarantine manager.
On the 14th, Yoon Tae-ho, head of the Central Accident Response Headquarters' quarantine team, said at a regular briefing, "With the increase in outdoor activities during the autumn foliage season, there is concern about the spread of COVID-19," adding, "We have prepared cross-ministerial autumn travel quarantine management plans to proactively respond to the possibility of spread and to manage the spread steadily."
He continued, "We ask the public to plan travel this autumn preferably with family units rather than long-distance trips, and if you must travel in groups, designate a representative or leader as a quarantine manager to implement responsible quarantine management."
The police urged restraint from drinking and dancing inside buses due to concerns about major accidents. A local police official pointed out, "Even if the bus windows are tinted so that the inside is not visible from outside, drinking and dancing can be fully detected and caught on site." He emphasized, "(Above all) because it can lead to major accidents, drinking and dancing inside buses must never be done."
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