Is Busan Village Bus Safe? Joint Inspection of Village Bus Safety Management Finds 53 Violations

Administrative Actions Including Fines, Improvement Orders, and Corrections for 281 Vehicles from 32 Village Bus Companies

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] Busan City (Mayor Park Hyung-jun) conducted the '2021 First Half Village Bus Safety Management Inspection' and found a total of 53 violations.

Although the violations detected were found not to pose significant safety issues in bus operation, Busan City plans to impose administrative measures, considering the close relationship with citizens' daily lives.

From March 5 to April 20, Busan City conducted joint inspections targeting 281 vehicles from 32 companies out of 571 vehicles from 61 companies, in cooperation with district offices, the Korea Transportation Safety Authority Busan Headquarters, and the Village Bus Association.

This inspection was carried out to prevent safety accidents involving village buses, which operate under poor conditions and could lead to major accidents if incidents occur, and to enhance passenger convenience.

Busan City directly visited the garages and terminals of village bus transport companies to inspect vehicle safety management standards, vehicle maintenance and inspection, and compliance by transport operators and drivers.

The inspection results revealed 53 violations of vehicle safety standards and transport operator compliance, including ▲improper lighting devices (12 cases) ▲tire wear (15 cases) ▲vehicle body scratches and corrosion (3 cases) ▲vehicle bumper damage (2 cases) ▲window glass damage (1 case) ▲seat defects (3 cases) ▲belt damage (1 case) ▲fire extinguisher pressure failure (2 cases) ▲others (14 cases).

Depending on the severity of the violations, Busan City will impose administrative actions such as fines, improvement orders, and on-site corrections on the operators.

Mayor Park Hyung-jun of Busan said, "Through regular inspections, the safety awareness of transport operators has improved, and the overall vehicle condition has also enhanced, showing the effectiveness of the inspections," adding, "We will encourage transport operators to conduct frequent self-inspections along with regular inspections so that citizens can use village buses safely and comfortably."