Jung-gu Deems Namsan Tunnel 1 and 3 Congestion Charges Imposed on Jung-gu Residents Living Downtown "Unfair"
Jung-gu District and Residents Demand Various System Improvements to Exempt Jung-gu Residents from Congestion Charges
At the Public Hearing on the 20th, Jung-gu Residents Actively Voiced Their Inconvenience and Damage, Expecting Policy Reflection
What if you had to pay a toll just to go home because you live in Jung-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Kim Gil-seong)?
This is the reality that residents of Jung-gu face daily when using the Namsan Tunnel No. 1 and No. 3.
On the afternoon of the 20th at 3 PM, a "Public Hearing for Determining the Policy Direction of the Namsan Congestion Toll" was held at the Seoul City Hall Annex. Experts and residents from various fields, including civic groups, city council members, university professors, and lawyers, attended and expressed differing opinions on whether to maintain or abolish the congestion toll.
Residents of Jung-gu also attended the hearing, voicing their hardships and damages experienced from frequent toll payments and the wasted time caused by detours to avoid the tunnels.
They also presented overseas cases of congestion toll collection that offer discounts to city center residents, urging improvements to the system that has continued by custom without revision for decades, failing to reflect changes in the functions of the city center.
The Namsan Tunnel No. 1 and No. 3 congestion toll, established in 1996 to alleviate downtown traffic congestion, has raised issues such as fairness compared to other high-traffic areas like Gangnam and restrictions on the passage rights of Jung-gu residents, but has continued without significant improvements, causing inconvenience to city center residents.
Jung-gu has made various efforts to exempt residents from the Namsan Tunnel No. 1 and No. 3 congestion toll. On November 8th, the district attended the "Namsan Congestion Toll Policy Direction Advisory Meeting," which included Seoul City, Seoul Institute, and Seoul Environmental Federation. At this meeting, Jung-gu strongly demanded the exemption of the congestion toll for its residents, citing unfairness in toll collection and referencing overseas cases. The district also sought understanding and cooperation from Seoul city council members and the chairperson of the Seoul City Transportation Committee to promote toll discounts for Jung-gu residents.
Resident participation was also notable. A "Congestion Toll Jung-gu Residents Exemption Promotion Council" was formed, mainly composed of residents using the Namsan Tunnel, collecting 8,049 signatures. Jung-gu submitted the petition and suggestions to Seoul City. Jung-gu residents also actively participated in the "Namsan Congestion Toll Collection Policy Online Vote" conducted by Seoul City from September 22 to October 22, expressing their opinions.
Experts attending the discussion also stated, "The inconvenience felt by residents living in the city center is a side effect of congestion toll collection," and "Separate considerations seem necessary to resolve this."
Seoul City announced that after gathering opinions raised at the public hearing, it will decide the policy direction of the Namsan congestion toll through deliberation by the Seoul Metropolitan Transportation Committee.
Additionally, it stated, "We will also consider measures to reduce tolls for residents of Jung-gu, Yongsan-gu, and other areas."
Kim Gil-seong, Mayor of Jung-gu, said, "I hope that the opinions of Jung-gu residents will be actively reflected when Seoul City decides on the congestion toll policy direction, and that the long-standing inconveniences of our residents will be resolved."
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