[Report] 'Highway Bus Delayed 30 Minutes Due to Traffic Accident'... Terminal Crowded on First Day of Return Trip

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Seoyul] "The 22:45 and 22:50 buses bound for Changwon are delayed due to road conditions. We kindly ask passengers holding tickets to understand."

At 11:04 PM on the 20th, the Express Bus Terminal in Seocho-dong, Seoul was crowded with passengers who missed their scheduled departures due to consecutive delays caused by a highway accident. Photo by Hwang Seoyul chestnut@

At around 10:45 PM on the 20th, the Seoul Seocho-gu Gyeongbu Express Bus Terminal repeatedly broadcast announcements due to delayed buses. The terminal was crowded with passengers who could not depart for their hometowns at the scheduled time. Passengers showed their mobile tickets saved on their phones and asked, "Is it true that this bus has not yet arrived at the terminal?" Terminal staff repeatedly apologized, saying, "The bus should be arriving soon."

At around 6:16 PM that day, a collision involving five buses, including express buses and commuter buses, occurred in the first lane near the Seoul tollgate on the Gyeongbu Expressway heading toward Seoul. Due to this accident, buses traveling from the provinces to the Seoul Express Bus Terminal and then heading back home were delayed one after another, causing passengers to miss their scheduled departure times. According to an official from the express bus terminal, bus delays began around 10 PM, with about 50 buses delayed by up to 20 minutes. The delays were reported to have been resolved only by 12:40 AM the following day.

For example, the 11 PM bus bound for Changwon arrived on time, but the 10:48 PM and 10:50 PM buses, which were supposed to depart earlier, were delayed consecutively. About 70 passengers were waiting in front of the platform in freezing temperatures for the buses.

Passengers expressed discomfort as the buses were delayed on top of the already late journey home. Huh Hyunjung (27) said, "I failed to get a KTX ticket, so I had to take the bus," adding, "The holiday travel is always so exhausting." Choi Dayoung (34), who was traveling home with her pet dog, said, "I didn’t know there was an accident but heard about the delay," and added, "Although the accident was unavoidable, I was disappointed because I wanted to get home quickly."

At 11:48 PM on the 20th, although it was somewhat late, the highway was filled with vehicles heading home for the holidays, and the red light seemed never to turn off.
Photo by Hwang Seoyul chestnut@

The bus originally scheduled to depart for Changwon at 10:50 PM arrived at the terminal only at 11:20 PM. When an express bus terminal staff member shouted, "The 10:50 PM bus to Changwon has arrived," the waiting passengers quickly lined up to board. Thanks to passengers who waited in front of the platform not knowing when the bus would arrive, boarding was completed in 4 minutes, and the bus was ready to depart.

Kim Minjung (29), who was on her way home, said, "I didn’t know at first, but I heard the delay was due to the accident," adding, "I wanted to get home quickly, but it took a little longer." She also expressed hope, saying, "I want to arrive at my hometown soon and enjoy delicious food while celebrating Seollal." A (26) also said, "Although there was news of the delay, I’m glad I was able to take the bus home," and added, "I just hope to arrive safely at my hometown."

Although it was quite late for the journey home, the expressway was lit up by the red taillights of vehicles heading home, making it hard to believe it was early morning. Passengers who boarded the bus later than usual reclined their seats and fell asleep immediately after boarding.