Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Promotes Improvement of Traffic Safety Facilities on Backstreets

Formation of a Council Involving Police Station, District Office, and Local Residents

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced on the 3rd that, marking the first year of the autonomous police system, it will begin improving the traffic environment on neighborhood back roads, which residents have most frequently complained about as inconvenient.

The Seoul Police Agency plans to enhance pedestrian safety and traffic convenience for local residents by improving traffic safety facilities on back roads. The agency stated, "This is part of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's resident-participation traffic facility improvement program, where residents directly participate and collaborate with the police and local governments to create improvement plans addressing the inconvenient traffic environments residents actually experience, in line with the autonomous police system set to be fully implemented from the 1st of next month."

In March, the Seoul Police Agency completed the formation of the 'Our Neighborhood Traffic Safety Facility Improvement Promotion Council,' which included participation from police stations, district offices, and local residents such as community leaders. A total of 340 people participated in this public-private council, including 112 police officers from 31 police stations, 104 district office officials, and 124 local residents.

During April, a focused reporting period was operated, receiving reports through various channels such as the National Petition System, police station and district office websites, phone calls, and written submissions. Residents reported traffic safety facilities, road accessory facilities, and traffic signal operation systems that they found inconvenient or unreasonable while walking or driving.

Even after the one-month focused reporting period, traffic inconvenience reports continued to be received, leading to an extension of the reporting period until the end of May. This showed active participation and positive responses from local residents.

As a result of the two-month reporting period, a total of 1,353 reports were received, including requests for new crosswalks (174 cases, 12.9%), improvements in signal operation (142 cases, 10.5%), and installation of traffic signals (120 cases, 8.9%), among various other opinions.

The Seoul Police Agency immediately addressed 625 cases that could be improved right away from the received reports. For facilities that can be installed within the year, on-site inspections and reviews will be conducted as quickly as possible, with facility improvements planned to be promoted by September.

Jang Ha-yeon, Commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, said, "Through improving traffic safety facilities in our neighborhoods, we will embody the true meaning of implementing the autonomous police system by communicating more closely with local residents and building consensus. We will continue to establish permanent communication channels to listen attentively to residents' voices, continuously resolve inconveniences, and carry out community policing activities that residents can genuinely feel."