[Exclusive] "Can't People with Disabilities Use Public Transport?" Low-Floor Bus Adoption Rate at 59.8%... 2 out of 5 Buses Just Pass By

April 20, 41st 'Day of Persons with Disabilities' Fades
Long Way to Go for Disability Mobility Rights
Seoul City Low-Floor Bus Introduction Rate 59.8%
Subway Electric Wheelchair Fast Chargers 37.7%
Subway Stations Without Accessible Restrooms or Elevators

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] It has been revealed that there is a severe shortage of low-floor buses that guarantee mobility rights for transportation-vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities, and rapid charging stations for electric wheelchairs in subways.

According to data submitted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Seoul Metro to Jin Seong-jun, a member of the National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, as of the end of March, the introduction rate of low-floor buses in Seoul was only 59.8%.

Out of 7,164 buses operating in Seoul excluding metropolitan buses, only 4,283 are low-floor buses. Low-floor buses have a lowered floor and ramps installed at the entrance, making it convenient for transportation-vulnerable groups to board. Civic groups have been demanding a 100% introduction of low-floor buses.

Kim Kang-won, Director of the Human Rights Policy Bureau at the Disabled Rights Research Institute, said, “59.8% is by no means a high number. It means that 2 out of 5 buses have to be passed by, and when waiting times are added, it nullifies the meaning of using public transportation for transportation-vulnerable groups including people with disabilities,” adding, “From the perspective of universal mobility rights, the introduction rate of low-floor buses should be raised to 100%.”

(Source: Jin Seong-jun, Democratic Party of Korea)

There were also subway stations in the metropolitan area without elevators or restrooms for people with disabilities. As of April, there were a total of five subway stations in the metropolitan area (Lines 1 to 9) that were difficult for transportation-vulnerable groups to use due to the absence of elevators: Yongdap Station on Line 2, Chungmuro and Dogok Stations on Line 3, Cheonggu Station on Line 5, and Namguro Station on Line 7. In a response submitted to Jin Seong-jun’s office, Seoul Metro stated, “Elevator installation work is underway at Yongdap and Chungmuro Stations on Line 2 and is scheduled to be completed by December this year. Installation at Namguro Station is planned after securing next year’s budget.” There are no installation plans yet for Dogok Station on Line 3 and Cheonggu Station on Line 5.

There were eight subway stations without restrooms for people with disabilities: Cheongnyangni Station on Line 1; Jichuk, Chungmuro, and Express Bus Terminal Stations on Line 3; Cheonggu Station on Line 5; Sinnae Station on Line 6; Gunja Station on Line 7; and Cheonho Station on Line 8. The number of subway stations equipped with rapid chargers for electric wheelchairs was also severely insufficient. Out of a total of 321 stations on Lines 1 to 9 (283 stations on Lines 1 to 8 and 38 stations on Line 9), only 121 stations (107 on Lines 1 to 8 and 14 on Line 9) had rapid chargers installed, resulting in an overall installation rate of 37.7%.

(Source: Jin Seong-jun, Democratic Party of Korea)

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, as of 2018, transportation-vulnerable groups (people with disabilities, the elderly, and pregnant women) accounted for about 29% of the total population, approximately 15.09 million people. This was an increase of 260,000 people (1.27 percentage points) compared to the previous year.

Experts say that the ‘mobility rights’ of transportation-vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities, should be approached from a human rights perspective. Lee Dong-seok, a professor in the Department of Social Welfare at Daegu University, said, “Low-floor buses are used not only by people with disabilities but also by the elderly, pregnant women, and other transportation-vulnerable groups, so it should be viewed as a way to improve the quality of life for all citizens,” adding, “Although the budget is gradually increasing, since this is a matter of life for transportation-vulnerable groups, the philosophy behind the budget needs to be reconsidered.”

Byun Jae-won, director of the National Solidarity for the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities, pointed out, “Seoul City has not properly implemented the ‘Declaration on the Mobility Rights of Persons with Disabilities’ announced in 2015, and the promise must be fulfilled.” Kim emphasized, “Mobility rights should be recognized as human rights that cannot be partially guaranteed, restricted, or deferred.”

Assemblyman Jin Seong-jun said, “The number of transportation-vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities and the elderly is increasing, and the aging of people with disabilities is progressing faster than that of the general population,” adding, “To proactively prepare for the aging society, I will make further efforts to secure institutional alternatives and additional budgets to guarantee universal mobility rights for transportation-vulnerable groups.”