Where Should You Push a Waste Cart: On the Sidewalk or the Road? [Seunggon Han's Reporting Notebook]

Classified as handcart vehicles, fines imposed for riding on sidewalks instead of roads
Various safety accidents while collecting waste on roads... 18 deaths in Seoul from 2016 to 2018
National Assembly proposed 2017 law amendment, but still pending

An elderly man is precariously pulling a handcart full of scrap paper on a busy street in Seoul. Photo by Han Seung-gon hsg@asiae.co.kr.

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] [Editor's Note] We bring you behind-the-scenes stories from our reporting that were not included in the articles. We faithfully convey the vivid stories noted down in our notebooks from the field to our readers.

"Actually, the sidewalk can be more inconvenient." , "Still, it's less dangerous than the road." , "Isn't the road dangerous with so many cars?"

After the article 'Can Paper Cart Collection Carts Use the Sidewalk? [Reporter Han Goes]' was published on the 28th, many readers shared various opinions through comments. The article suggested that since elderly people who collect paper to make a living often get hit and killed by vehicles while working on the road, perhaps they could use the sidewalk instead.

Currently, the carts used for collecting paper are classified as vehicles under the current law (Article 2, Clause 17 of the Road Traffic Act). Using them on the sidewalk instead of the road is illegal and results in a fine of 30,000 KRW.

For elderly people who collect paper to make a living daily, this 30,000 KRW fine can threaten their livelihood. According to a survey conducted in September 2017 on 2,417 elderly paper collectors aged 65 and over active in 24 autonomous districts in Seoul, 51.9% responded that they earn less than 100,000 KRW per month.

Besides the law, since the fine amounts to about half of their monthly income, some risk pulling their carts on the road despite the danger. Earning only 2,000 to 3,000 KRW a day from collecting paper, a 30,000 KRW fine is an unimaginable hardship.

A handcart for collecting waste paper is straddling the sidewalk and the roadway at an intersection. Photo by Han Seung-gon hsg@asiae.co.kr.

Listening to the elderly who collect paper, the situation is even more severe. A man in his 70s met in a busy area of Seoul said, "If I get fined tens of thousands of won, I can't do this work at all," and lamented, "The law says this cart is a vehicle, so we have no choice but to follow that." He added, "Cars avoid the carts when they see them," but when asked about accidents, he said briefly, "What can you do? That's just how it is."

Usually, paper carts travel very close to the sidewalk. This is because paper is typically placed near streetlights or street trees by shops. During the daytime, cars passing at high speed see these carts and drive defensively to avoid them.

The problem mainly occurs at night or early morning. Pulling a heavy cart slowly exposes them easily to safety accidents.

According to media reports, 18 people died in Seoul alone over three years (2016?2018). In 2018 alone, six elderly people died after being hit by cars while collecting paper. By year, four died in 2016 and eight in 2017. Considering only fatal accidents are recorded, it is estimated that many more minor and major injuries go unreported.

The elderly also complain of psychological distress. Another man in his 60s who collects paper said, "Once, a car honked loudly from behind, and that sound keeps coming to mind," adding, "It seems like they are warning me to be careful, not threatening me, but it's all noisy and stressful." This can be seen as a complaint stemming from anxiety about when and where a vehicle might suddenly appear during paper collection.

The National Assembly recognized the seriousness and proposed a legal amendment in November 2017 to include carts defined by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety as pedestrians.

At that time, lawmakers advocating for the amendment to the Road Traffic Act argued, "Allowing carts on sidewalks may cause minor inconvenience or minor accidents to pedestrians, but using the road disrupts vehicle flow and increases accident risk." The amendment is currently pending in the National Assembly.

An elderly man strugglingly crosses the crosswalk at a four-way intersection in Euljiro, Jung-gu, Seoul, with a handcart fully loaded with waste paper. Photo by Seunggon Han hsg@asiae.co.kr.

So, what do citizens think? Some believe that using the sidewalk might actually be more inconvenient for the elderly.

Kim, a company employee in his 30s, said, "Sidewalks can have slopes unlike roads, and in many ways, they may not be suitable for pulling carts." He also expressed concern that "some pedestrians might express dissatisfaction toward the elderly collecting paper."

On the other hand, there are opinions that even if pedestrians are slightly inconvenienced, elderly people should be allowed to use the sidewalk because many die after being hit by cars on the road.

Park, a worker in his 40s, said, "Isn't the most important thing to avoid being hit by cars?" and added, "Even if we pedestrians are inconvenienced, we can endure that." He also said, "I hope related regulations change soon so these people can work with peace of mind."

The elderly unanimously expressed concern that while safety is important, they worry about causing inconvenience to ordinary citizens.

A man in his 70s said, "I just collect paper to earn a living day by day, but I feel sorry that young people might be inconvenienced because of people like me." He added, "People who cause car accidents probably don't do it on purpose," and said, "We just need to be more careful and watch our surroundings."

Another elderly person said, "I feel uncomfortable asking society for something in my old age," and briefly added, "I just hope everything passes without any problems."

Experts urged the establishment of a social safety net for vulnerable groups. A social welfare official suggested, "Since the National Assembly recognized the seriousness of this issue years ago, if legal amendments are delayed, local governments should at least establish systems to fundamentally prevent safety accidents."