Seoul City Conducts Special Crackdown on Illegal Parking and Stopping in School Zones Ahead of New Semester

Collaboration with Autonomous Districts and Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency to Conduct Crackdown for 12 Days from Next Month 2 to 18

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] In celebration of the new school semester starting in March, Seoul announced on the 24th that it will conduct a special crackdown on illegal parking and stopping in school zones for 12 days from March 2 to 18 to ensure children can commute safely to and from school.

In response to the 'COVID-19' pandemic and the new semester, this special crackdown will focus mainly on morning school hours (8?10 a.m.) and afternoon dismissal hours (1?4 p.m.) across all 1,735 school zones in Seoul. The operation involves Seoul City, 25 autonomous districts, and the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. Illegal parking and stopping vehicles will be immediately fined, and if necessary, towed as part of strict enforcement.

However, parking and stopping are permitted for disabled vehicles, school buses, and academy vehicles in areas marked with child boarding and alighting zone signs. Since last year, after school zones were designated as absolute no-parking and no-stopping areas, the city has allowed disabled vehicles and school/academy vehicles to park or stop for up to 5 minutes in designated child boarding and alighting zones.

Seoul City will apply a zero-tolerance policy by combining enforcement using mobile CCTV vehicles and fixed CCTV monitoring against vehicles violating parking and stopping regulations in school zones.

Baek Ho, Director of Seoul City's Urban Transportation Office, stated, "School zones are absolute no-parking and no-stopping areas where safety must be guaranteed under all circumstances," and added, "We ask for the active cooperation of citizens to prevent child traffic accidents and to create an environment centered on vulnerable road users and pedestrians."