Incheon City Councilor Na Sang-gil: "Incheon Bus Routes Cannot Keep Up with Demand"

Concerns have been raised that Incheon's bus routes do not adequately reflect the usage demands of its citizens.

According to the Incheon City Council on the 7th, Na Sang-gil, a member of the Industry and Economy Committee (Democratic Party, Bupyeong 4), criticized during the second plenary session of the 293rd extraordinary meeting held the previous day, stating, "Incheon's bus routes fail to keep up with the demand in large-scale housing development areas."

Assemblyman Na said, "Incheon has undergone four major bus route reorganizations in 2000, 2009, 2016, and 2020, and only partial adjustments have been made annually since then," adding, "The city operates buses according to previous routes without considering the construction and occupancy of new apartments, causing significant inconvenience to residents moving into these new apartments."

He continued, "While frequent bus route changes may cause inconvenience to citizens, it is an even bigger problem to operate existing routes despite new demand," emphasizing, "There is a need for more flexible management of Incheon's bus policies."

Nasang-gil, Incheon City Council Member
[Photo by Incheon City Council]

Assemblyman Na also questioned issues such as the change and expansion of bus routes for the Grand Hills Apartments in Cheongcheon-dong, Bupyeong-gu, which houses about 5,050 households; the alteration of route 103 for students assigned to Sangjeong High School in Sipjeong-dong and commuters traveling toward Sipjeong-dong from Sangok and Cheongcheon-dong; and the unilateral relocation of the Cheongcheon-dong garage for route 45 without residents' consent.

Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok, responding to the questions, said, "We continuously adjust bus routes in necessary areas according to changes in the transportation environment, such as new apartment developments, but there are some shortcomings," adding, "We will conduct prior analyses of transportation demand, including new industrial complexes and apartment occupancy plans, to ensure timely deployment of bus routes."

He further stated, "We will thoroughly consult with the relevant departments to analyze the demand of the Grand Hills Apartments in Cheongcheon-dong and adjust additional routes accordingly."