Seoul City to Achieve 100% Low-Floor Bus Adoption by Next Year... Expanding Support for Transportation-Disadvantaged Groups

Improving Mobility Convenience for Transportation-Disadvantaged and Expanding Infrastructure Significantly
Currently 4,985 Vehicles Completed... 73% Adoption Rate, Plans for Gradual Increase
Wheelchair and Low-Floor Bus Boarding Reservations via Seoul Donghaeng Map
Over 600 Additional Platform Safety Plates to Be Installed by 2025

Seoul City will raise the introduction rate of low-floor buses in the city to 100% by next year. This means filling the total number of 6,803 buses available for operation on all routes, whereas currently about 5,000 buses are in operation. As a measure to improve mobility convenience for transportation-vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities, a system enabling reservations for boarding low-floor buses will also be established.

On the 18th, Seoul City announced these support measures, stating that it will significantly expand transportation means and infrastructure so that all citizens can move conveniently and safely.

First, additional installation of subway boarding convenience facilities will secure an additional 'one station, one route.' This system allows transportation-vulnerable individuals to use the subway via a single route (ground level ↔ concourse ↔ platform) by using elevators. As of this month, the rate of securing one station, one route is 96.1%, with 13 stations currently lacking this system.

Measures to prevent subway platform gap accidents will also be implemented. The platform automatic safety plates, which were pilot-installed at 25 locations in 5 stations, will be expanded to 589 locations in 77 stations by next year. This plan reflects the results of a survey conducted from June to December 2023 on stations where 71% of all gap accidents occurred over the past five years to determine installation feasibility. For the 589 locations in 77 stations where automatic safety plates can be installed, 263 locations in 22 stations will be installed this year, and 326 locations in 55 stations will be installed next year.

In particular, for city buses, the goal is to achieve a 100% introduction rate of low-floor buses by 2025. The plan is to gradually introduce all 6,803 buses on all routes, increasing the number to 470 buses this year alone, raising the rate to 77%. As of last month, the introduction rate of low-floor buses was 73.2%, with 4,985 buses introduced out of the total operable number.

Starting this year, a new service will be promoted to activate and support the use of low-floor buses by transportation-vulnerable groups through a customized app called 'Seoul Donghaeng Map.' After searching for bus information on the app like a map, when the user arrives at the bus stop, reservation information such as boarding and alighting will be transmitted to the bus, enabling the operation of lifts and announcement systems.

For wheelchair users, the number of disability call taxis will continue to be expanded to achieve 150% of the legally required number by 2025. The scale of voucher taxis exclusively for non-wheelchair users will be significantly expanded from the current 8,600 to 10,000 within the year, and plans to double the number of specially equipped corporate taxis from the current 30 to 60 are also under discussion.

Additionally, projects to improve walking mobility convenience for transportation-vulnerable groups will accelerate. The goal is to strengthen safety by improving and expanding roads and traffic safety facilities within children's protection zones. Road and traffic safety facilities to enhance driver awareness, such as speed limits and guide signs, will be installed at 600 locations, and facilities to protect child pedestrians such as protective fences, yellow carpets, and yellow crosswalks will be expanded to 277 locations. Yoon Jong-jang, Director of Urban Transportation at Seoul City, stated, "We will do our best to promote various customized transportation policies and support convenience so that all citizens, including transportation-vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities, can enjoy more convenient and safe mobility."