The More Convenient 'Chakhan Shuttle' Runs in Busan... SKT Business Agreement

From the left in the photo: Cha Jeong-hoon, Employment Promotion Director of Korea Employment Agency for the Disabled; Jo Young-tae, Director of Social Welfare Bureau, Busan City; Yeo Ji-young, Open Collaboration Manager at SK Telecom; Seo Dong-gyeong, Head of Busan Research and Development Special Zone, Research and Development Special Zone Promotion Foundation.

[Asia Economy Reporter Joselgina Cho] The Good Shuttle, which assists commuting for workers with severe disabilities, is evolving into a safer and more comfortable service through collaboration with Busan City.

On the 19th, according to SK Telecom, the company signed a business agreement titled "Public-Private Collaboration for a Better Job Leap" at Busan City Hall the previous day, with Busan City, Korea Employment Agency for the Disabled, and Busan Research and Development Special Zone Promotion Foundation, focusing on next year's Good Shuttle pilot project.

Launched in October last year, the Good Shuttle is a door-to-door shuttle bus service operating from the homes of workers with severe disabilities to their workplaces, supporting safe commuting and efficient time management for disabled workers who find it difficult to use public transportation without assistance.

SK Telecom analyzes T map data to provide optimal safety routes for the Good Shuttle, while the Korea Employment Agency for the Disabled supports the Smart Jikimi, an assistive technology device for location tracking. Modeul Shuttle offers a solution that allows real-time vehicle location and seat confirmation as well as boarding reservations.

After a pilot project in Seongnam City last year, the Good Shuttle was approved as a welfare project by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in July this year, laying the groundwork for nationwide service expansion. This time, Busan City is the first metropolitan local government to promote its commercialization.

SK Telecom enhanced the Good Shuttle’s safety and convenience by integrating the latest ICT solutions through the Busan City pilot project. In collaboration with T map Mobility, the shuttle operation was optimized by applying the automatic dispatch engine TMS (Transportation Management System) to the Good Shuttle, reducing dispatch planning time and total driving distance, while optimizing routes by reflecting real-time traffic and road-based information.

Additionally, dedicated applications were developed for Good Shuttle passengers, boarding and alighting assistants, and drivers to share real-time boarding and alighting information and vehicle location data with customers and guardians. The boarding and alighting assistants’ manually managed operation logs will be digitized for mobile checking to improve operational efficiency. Safety measures were also strengthened by using the wrist-type IoT device Smart Jikimi, which detects falls or slips during shuttle rides.

Through this pilot project, Busan City plans not only to create new jobs for disabled workers and support employment and wages for Good Shuttle boarding and alighting assistants but also to promote employment and mobility rights for people with disabilities. The Korea Employment Agency for the Disabled will designate SK Telecom’s Smart Jikimi as an assistive technology device and provide it free of charge to Good Shuttle passengers, linking the shuttle’s commuting fare support policy to reduce the economic burden on disabled workers. The Busan Research and Development Special Zone Promotion Foundation will discover excellent companies employing disabled workers in the Busan Special Zone, contribute to job creation, and continue supporting the commercialization of the Good Shuttle.

Meanwhile, the Busan City pilot project will also conduct a barrier-free challenge in a public-private collaboration format, involving local residents and Good Shuttle users in promotional video production and crowdfunding.

Ye Ji-young, head of SK Telecom’s Open Collaboration, stated, “To contribute to a society where transportation-vulnerable people can work comfortably, we will continuously advance the ICT-based Good Shuttle service and promote various collaborations to expand the service.”