Ddarungi Gaining Attention as Climate Transport Card... "What About Helmets?"

Local Governments All Suspend 'Safety Helmet Rental Projects'
Legal Revisions That Reflect Reality Must Come First

As Seoul City plans to introduce the 'Climate Companion Card' next year, which allows unlimited use of public transportation, interest in the public bicycle system 'Ddarungi' is also increasing. The Climate Companion Card will enable unlimited use of Ddarungi in addition to buses and subways, so the number of users is expected to grow. However, the current law mandates the wearing of helmets, which is difficult to enforce for public bicycles. Therefore, there are calls for regulatory adjustments.

According to Seoul City on the 15th, the budget for Ddarungi next year does not include provisions related to helmets. The Ddarungi budget will be finalized after review by the Seoul Metropolitan Council along with other budgets by the end of November.

The number of Ddarungi users has been increasing every year. In 2017, there were 5.03 million rides, and last year recorded 40.95 million rides. This means the number of users has increased more than eightfold in five years. With the launch of the Climate Companion Card, the number of users is expected to increase further.

The problem is that users of public bicycles like Ddarungi are required to wear helmets. Current law mandates helmet use for cyclists riding on general roads or bicycle-only lanes. This requirement was implemented through a partial amendment to the Road Traffic Act in September 2018.

In line with the 2018 law revision, Seoul City conducted a pilot project to lend helmets free of charge. Although Seoul City is not obligated to lend helmets to Ddarungi users, there were concerns that local governments might be criticized for ignoring legal violations. However, after one month of pilot operation, the loss rate of helmets reached 23.8%. Additionally, only 3% of Ddarungi users wore helmets, leading to the project's abandonment.

Seoul City also finds the situation difficult. A Seoul City official said, "Along with the issue of loss, there was a tendency among citizens to avoid helmets used by others," adding, "There were also criticisms that it is unrealistic for individuals to bring helmets to use public bicycles." In a public opinion survey conducted by Seoul City at the time, 88% of respondents opposed mandatory helmet use for Ddarungi.

Other local governments have also failed to find effective solutions and have suspended related projects. Daejeon City, around the same time as Seoul, stocked 400 helmets at stations for 'Tashu' users, but over 90% were lost, so helmets are no longer provided. Sejong City conducted a sample survey of 128 'Eouling' bicycles and found helmets missing from 43 units. A Seoul City official stated, "In the case of Ddarungi, measures such as limiting speed to under 15 km/h for safety are being implemented."

Under current law, wearing a helmet is required to use Ddarungi, but there are no legal penalties. Because of criticism that carrying a helmet is unrealistic, no penalty provisions were included in the enforcement decree. Without penalty provisions, enforcement is not carried out. In contrast, personal mobility devices (kickboards and electric bicycles) incur a fine of 20,000 KRW if helmets are not worn.

As the gap between law and reality continues, there are calls for legal amendments. Previously, in the National Assembly, a partial amendment to the Road Traffic Act was proposed in 2018 to change helmet wearing from 'mandatory' to 'recommended,' but it was discarded due to the expiration of the legislative term. Professor Lee Soo-beom of the Department of Transportation Engineering at the University of Seoul said, "If people feel uncomfortable using helmets worn by others, the option of inserting disposable sanitary covers could be considered," adding, "However, theft and other issues are difficult to address, and expecting individuals to bring their own helmets to use public bicycles is an even more unreasonable approach."