45% of Convenience Facilities in Seoul Subway Lines 1-8 Are Over 15 Years Old, 19% Over 20 Years Old... Budget for Replacing Old Elevators in 2021 Halved Compared to 2019, Raising Safety Concerns... Seoul Metro Emphasizes Full Preparation for Safety Policies Ahead of Serious Accident Punishment Act Starting January Next Year
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seoul Metropolitan Council Transportation Committee member Lee Eun-ju (Democratic Party, Nowon 2) urged Seoul Metro on the 2nd to be fully prepared with measures to ensure the safety of Seoul subway users.
According to Councilor Lee, 45% of the passenger convenience facilities installed on Seoul Subway Lines 1 to 8 are outdated facilities over 15 years old, and among them, 19% are facilities that have been in use for more than 20 years.
She also pointed out concerns about safety, noting that the budget for the complete replacement of old elevators was allocated at half the amount compared to 2019 in 2021.
Councilor Lee Eun-ju criticized, “The budget for newly installing passenger convenience facilities is still dependent solely on national and city matching funds or member-initiated budgets. I am curious about what self-help efforts Seoul Metro is making regarding this.”
Additionally, Councilor Lee mentioned that Seoul Metro’s measures are insufficient ahead of the amendment to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act scheduled to take effect in January next year, which applies to public transportation operators.
She added, “According to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, if a citizen using the subway (public transportation) suffers a fatal accident due to violations of safety and health obligations at facilities managed by Seoul Metro (employer and management responsible), Seoul Metro cannot escape responsibility. However, the only plan so far has been the operation of a task force, and there have been no related reports. This calls for reflection on Seoul Metro’s attitude toward safe subway operation.”
Councilor Lee emphasized that more thorough measures are needed for accidents directly related to citizen safety.
On February 18, a train delay occurred on Line 5 due to rail breakage, causing about a 25-minute delay during the morning commute without accurate announcements to passengers.
Regarding this, Councilor Lee pointed out, “In the Line 5 delay incident around February 18, the comprehensive control team reported without understanding the difference between rail cracks and rail breakage. Also, possibly due to the absence of a safety management officer, the cause of the accident differed between the on-site comprehensive control team’s report and subsequent reports.”
Finally, Councilor Lee stressed, “Seoul Metro must prioritize the safety of citizens using the subway whenever deciding policies or directions. Long-term measures and self-help plans are needed for the upcoming Serious Accidents Punishment Act and the dangerous aging passenger convenience facilities. As the vice-chair of the Transportation Committee, I will do my utmost to support all safety-related matters.”
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