Citizens have mixed reactions to the full fare-free policy for city buses in Sejong City. Some view the fare-free policy as a means to alleviate chronic traffic congestion (positive), while others believe caution is necessary due to the enormous budget required (negative).
According to the city on the 1st, the full fare-free policy for city buses is one of Mayor Choi Min-ho's major campaign promises. During the local elections held last June, Mayor Choi pledged, “I will make it possible to use city buses for free by reallocating other budgets to operate city buses.”
In line with this, the city conducted a “Research Project for Public Transportation Efficiency” until last month. Based on the results of this project, the city plans to proceed step-by-step with the procedures for implementing the fare-free policy for city buses.
The schedule is to establish a basic plan for full fare-free city buses by June this year, revise the Public Transportation Basic Ordinance in the second half of the year, and implement the full fare-free policy starting January 2025.
Currently, some regions such as Chungnam and Daegu do not charge city bus fares for children and the elderly. However, these regions impose age and other restrictions, so Sejong is likely to become the first case nationwide to implement a full fare-free city bus policy.
Above all, the city expects that the full fare-free policy for city buses will lead to revitalization of public transportation and thereby resolve the chronic traffic congestion that has persisted in the area.
Since expanding downtown roads faces limitations, the city’s plan is to reduce private car traffic by promoting public transportation, thereby alleviating traffic congestion.
The issue lies in securing funding to replace city bus fares. It is estimated that the city will need an annual budget of 50 billion to 100 billion KRW to implement the full fare-free policy. This estimate is based on the current city bus fare of 1,400 KRW by card (1,500 KRW by cash).
At present, the city has not decided how to cover this budget. The city’s position is to review the research results and financial conditions from multiple angles and present the outcome later.
However, it is clear that the budget for the full fare-free city bus policy will come from taxpayers’ pockets in one way or another. This is the very reason why opinions on the city’s policy differ within the community.
Kim Min-chan (49) said, “If city buses can be used for free, the number of public transportation users will increase accordingly, and that could partially ease local traffic congestion, which seems to be a reasonable argument (by the city).” He added, “If fare-free city buses are possible within a budget level the city can bear, there could be positive aspects from the perspective of citizen welfare,” expressing support for the city’s policy.
On the other hand, Jeong Eun-ji (32, female) said, “It is not welcome to cover 50 billion to 100 billion KRW of taxpayers’ money annually for city bus fares.” She pointed out, “I question whether making city buses free benefits all citizens equally, and I also have doubts about whether fare-free policies will actually lead to revitalized public transportation and eased traffic congestion.”
She added, “Above all, since this project (fare-free policy) requires a considerable budget, rather than rushing according to the set schedule, I think there should be a process to gather citizens’ opinions over time,” advocating a cautious approach.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
