[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Du-yeol] The Busan Police Agency is preparing for a large influx of spring outing visitors around major recreational areas in Gijang as the first weekend of the opening of Lotte World coincides with the full bloom of cherry blossoms.
The police agency operated a traffic control center and deployed 160 available personnel, including traffic police, riot squads, and motorcycle units, concentrating them at major intersections and arterial roads expected to experience congestion for wide-area traffic management.
Twelve traffic motorcycles were also stationed at key points in the city to respond swiftly to unexpected congestion caused by traffic accidents or vehicle breakdowns.
Lotte World is operating on a reservation system limiting visitors to 6,000 until the 10th, and the average daily visitors on the first weekend of opening was about 5,100 with approximately 1,900 vehicles entering, resulting in no congestion caused by Lotte World visitors as had been feared.
The police analyzed that spring outing visitors were dispersed to cherry blossom hotspots and other areas.
However, after 4:00 PM, as the number of vehicles returning home increased, some sections in the city direction, such as Songjeong Samgeori→Songjeong Eogwi and Haeundae Tunnel→Jangsan Tunnel, showed slow and stop-and-go traffic similar to usual weekends.
Samnak and Daejeo Ecological Parks, famous cherry blossom spots in Busan, generally experienced smooth traffic flow, but areas like Haeundae Dalmaji-gil and Hwangnyeongsan-ro showed congestion.
Hwangnyeongsan-ro was proactively controlled for three hours from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM, restricting the 3.5 km entrance road due to the influx of spring outing visitors using vehicles during the afternoon.
The police minimized traffic inconvenience for citizens by providing real-time control and congestion information through traffic guidance electronic boards (VMS), traffic guidance signboards installed inside and outside Busan, and traffic broadcasts, guiding vehicles entering from distant locations to detour and disperse.
Although there was no major traffic congestion on the first weekend of Lotte World's opening as feared, the police plan to cooperate with related organizations such as Busan City to prepare for a gradual increase in spring outing visitors after the end of the advance reservation system, striving to create a smooth traffic environment in the East Busan area.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
