Free Subway and Bus Rides for Youth, Citizens to Introduce Monthly 30,000 Won Free Pass
Initiatives for the enactment of a resident-proposed ordinance to realize free public transportation in Incheon are gaining momentum.
The "Youth Free Transportation and Incheon Citizens 30,000 Won Free Pass Ordinance Enactment Movement Headquarters," composed of 46 organizations including citizens, labor groups, political parties, and religious groups in the Incheon area, submitted a citizen petition requesting the ordinance proposal to the Incheon City Council on the 8th. The movement headquarters collected 13,471 citizen signatures, exceeding the resident ordinance petition requirement of 1/200 of citizens aged 18 and over, which is 12,752 signatures.
Accordingly, the Incheon City Council will undergo a 30-day verification process of the citizen petition, and if no issues arise, the ordinance must be processed within one year. Previously, in May, the movement headquarters submitted the "Incheon City Ordinance for Supporting Free Transportation to Overcome the Climate Crisis and Realize Transportation Welfare" to the council as a resident ordinance petition.
The Incheon free transportation proposal was first suggested by the Justice Party Incheon City Branch. The main idea is to introduce a transportation pass that allows youth to use subways and buses for free in the first phase, and citizens to use subways and buses unlimitedly for 30,000 won per month. Free transportation not only reduces the economic burden on low-income residents but also serves as an effective measure to reduce carbon emissions locally to combat the climate crisis. As this has become a public topic, currently, about 20 local governments nationwide have implemented full free city buses, free transportation for seniors, and free (or 100 won) transportation for youth, with the trend gradually expanding.
'Youth Free Transportation and Incheon Citizens 30,000 Won Free Pass Ordinance Enactment Movement Headquarters' Launch Press Conference. 2023.4.20 [Photo by Free Transportation Movement Headquarters]
Before submitting the citizen petition, the movement headquarters held a press conference stating, "Over the past six months, we have met citizens across Incheon to raise awareness about the severity of the climate and livelihood crises and to gain sympathy for public transportation and free transportation policies." They urged, "Now that the citizen petition for the ordinance proposal has been submitted, the Incheon City Council must actively review the ordinance and promote free transportation policies."
The movement headquarters also pointed out, "Busan City is currently implementing the 'Dongbaek Pass,' a 45,000 won refundable integrated public transportation discount system; Seoul City offers the 'Climate Companion Card,' an integrated transfer season pass for Seoul subways and buses at 65,000 won per month; and Gyeonggi Province plans to implement the 'The Gyeonggi Pass.' The reason local governments are rushing to promote free transportation policies is that they help overcome the climate crisis and support the low-income economy, yet Incheon City remains passive."
The organization stated, "The era of applying market logic to public transportation, which is the citizens' means of mobility, is over. Free transportation policies go beyond simply reducing economic burdens; they are an excellent way to reduce carbon emissions in the climate crisis era by decreasing private car usage." They added, "We hope that the free transportation support ordinance will start in Incheon and be promoted as a policy throughout the Seoul metropolitan area."
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