Won Hee-ryong: "Install Bus-Only Lane from Gaehwa to Gimpo Airport within a Month to Alleviate Congestion"

On-site Inspection of Congested Sections on Gimpo Gold Line Hell Train
Bus-only Lane Opening Administrative Notice and Procedure Shortening
Continuous Channel Operation between MOLIT and Seoul City for Issue Discussion

Won Hee-ryong, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, ordered the designation and establishment of a bus-only lane on the Gaehwa Station~Gimpo Airport Entrance section, which normally takes four months, to be completed within one month to alleviate congestion on the Gimpo Gold Line. Procedures such as administrative notice, design, construction approval, and contractor selection will be shortened using a fast-track method.

Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong is answering questions from reporters during the briefing on the 'On-site Inspection Plan for Bus-only Lanes in Congested Sections of the Gimpo Gold Line' held at Gaehwa Station on Subway Line 9 on the morning of the 17th. / Photo by Noh Kyung-jo

On the morning of the 17th, at Gaehwa Station on Subway Line 9, Minister Won stated during the 'On-site Inspection Plan Briefing for Bus-only Lane in Congested Sections of the Gimpo Gold Line,' "We will enable public transportation users to choose various ways of travel."

Recently, a patient suffering from breathing difficulties occurred on the Gimpo Gold Line, known as a hellish commute subway. In response, Minister Won held an emergency countermeasure meeting on the 14th and decided to expedite mid- to long-term measures such as the extension of Line 5 and the opening of the Metropolitan Area Express Railroad (GTX)-D.

Additionally, to immediately reduce congestion, an emergency plan to deploy unlimited shuttle buses on the bus-only lane will be pursued. For this, designating the 2.0 km section from Gaehwa Station to Gimpo Airport Entrance, under Seoul City's jurisdiction, as a bus-only lane is considered the top priority. Currently, only the 3.4 km section from Singok Intersection to Gaehwa Station, under Gimpo City's jurisdiction, is designated as a bus-only lane. If the bus-only lane is additionally opened, the total 5.4 km section's travel time is expected to be reduced from 20.9 minutes to 10.4 minutes, shortening by about 10 minutes.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to induce Gimpo Gold Line users to switch to buses through this measure. Lee Sang-hoon, Seoul City Transportation Planning Director, said, "Internally, it is expected to take 3 to 4 months, but we will establish the bus-only lane within 1 to 2 months," adding, "There will be no issues regarding cost or actual operation." Previously, the Ministry and Seoul City seemed to have conflicts over the bus-only lane issue. However, Minister Won and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon met directly on the 15th and agreed to maintain close communication at the working-level, managerial-level, and institutional head-level, creating a permanent channel to discuss current issues.

Minister Won also clarified that the emergency measures aim to disperse congestion until the extension of Line 5 is completed. He noted that it is difficult to point out faults such as the Gimpo Gold Line's route or demand forecasting because the fundamental problems are significant. Minister Won said, "Regarding the Gimpo Gold Line itself, we are reviewing whether additional vehicles can be deployed and whether the guideline to not send vehicles between stations can be changed, but safety cannot be sacrificed for speed." He added, "We are also considering increasing platform staff and providing advance congestion information."

In fact, from that day, the Ministry began joint on-site inspections with Gimpo City. For two weeks during weekday rush hours, inspections will be conducted at the platforms of nine out of ten Gimpo Gold Line stations, excluding Yangchon Station. Furthermore, the Ministry's Metropolitan Area Transport Committee, Seoul City, Gyeonggi Province, and Gimpo City formed a task force (TF) to continue discussing solutions.

Minister Won said, "I ask Gimpo City to mobilize all available resources such as reserve vehicles and charter buses to swiftly increase the number of vehicles to a level that citizens can feel," and added, "The government, including the Ministry, will provide full support."