[Inside Chodong] Metropolitan Area Transportation Welfare Must Remove Political Calculations

It is truly an overflow of transportation policies. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and local governments in the Seoul metropolitan area have been rolling out support measures for public transportation costs, and now individual local governments are even forming 'land-grabbing style' alliances, pressuring other municipalities.While this can be seen positively as healthy policy competition and an expansion of citizens' choices, there are quite a few citizens who are skeptical of the transportation policies that the government and local governments are pursuing separately.

It is clear that Seoul's 'Climate Companion Card,' which is evaluated as leading in the competition, has succeeded in its initial popularity. By promoting an unlimited pass benefit priced in the 60,000 won range, cumulative sales surpassed 280,000 cards by the 31st, and the prepared stock has run out, even leading to situations where people pay premiums to purchase them.

However, considering that Seoul and the metropolitan area are practically a single living zone, the limitation of the Climate Companion Card, which can only be used in Seoul, is becoming increasingly apparent. Negotiations with Gyeonggi Province are not easy, and targeting individual local governments is progressing more slowly than expected. It was only a week after the launch that Gunpo City expressed its intention to participate, but this only highlighted the exclusion of residents of Anyang City and Gwacheon City, who live between Gunpo and Seoul.

The controversy over its effectiveness was predicted long ago. At last year's National Assembly inspection by the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties warned that the popular policies of Seoul and Gyeonggi Province would lead to budget waste and user confusion. At that time, transportation experts also said that it is appropriate to pursue a unified transportation policy for the convenience and efficiency of residents sharing the same living zone.

What is unsettling is the atmosphere that this is not healthy policy competition but rather a simple power struggle. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon appeared on the radio the day before and, regarding the possibility of consultation with basic local governments, said, "We plan to speed up first," but also said, "It would be good if Gyeonggi Province joins, but it seems they are hesitating," effectively provoking Gyeonggi Province.

Gyeonggi Province's position is also understandable. Since metropolitan buses and the Shinbundang Line are excluded from the benefits, there were not many parts where residents could expect substantial benefits. Of course, the scope of benefits can be adjusted through consultation, but the province is confident that its policy is superior and has expressed its intention to independently promote 'The Gyeonggi Pass.'

The problem is that the 'power struggle' between Seoul and Gyeonggi Province is not the first. In the 'Myeongdong rush hour chaos' that erupted in early last month, uncomfortable positions surfaced over the dispersal measures for bus stops to alleviate crowding. Earlier, regarding the 'Seoul Mega City' last year, Gyeonggi Province strongly criticized it as an election policy that goes against balanced national development. Citizens are confused by the political calculations of local governments located in the same living zone.

Although transportation development policies are the first to appear during election seasons, since they have a huge impact on citizens' living zones, it is necessary to remove political bubbles and organize administrative and living zones that are currently fragmented. We clearly confirmed in the 'Myeongdong rush hour chaos' that transportation issues in the metropolitan area are not the problem of any single local government.

Unilateral promotion with an attitude of 'just throw it out and follow' must not be repeated. The confusion began last August when the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, followed by Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, consecutively announced transportation discount policies. The meeting between the Ministry and metropolitan local governments, arranged just before the launch of the Climate Companion Card amid opposition from some local governments over 'unilateral announcements without prior consultation,' ultimately faded into a promotional stage for each party.

The government, which packages this situation as an "expansion of user choice," cannot be free from responsibility either. As elections approach, it is obvious that more election-oriented handout projects will pour out, and it is worrisome whether we can rely on the government's 'coordination ability,' which cannot even unify a single transportation card. Social Affairs Department Deputy Director Bae Kyunghwan