City, Tourism Organization, and Others to Launch 'BUS BF DAY' Starting in September
Mayor Park Hyungjun, Tourism Organization, Bus Transport Association, and Association of Welfare Centers for the Disabled Attend
On the 26th at 4:00 PM, the Busan Metropolitan City will sign an agreement at the Busan Social Welfare Center with the Busan Tourism Organization, Busan City Bus Transportation Association, and Busan Association of Welfare Centers for the Disabled to promote the operation of the “BUS BF DAY” project, aimed at improving mobility rights for transportation-vulnerable groups.
Low-floor Bus Companion Campaign Promotion Administrative Support. (Department of Welfare for the Disabled, Public Transportation Department, Bus Transportation Association)
BF stands for Barrier Free.
The signing ceremony will be attended by Mayor Park Hyungjoon, Lee Jeongsil, President of Busan Tourism Organization, Sung Hyundo, Chairman of Busan City Bus Transportation Association, and Lee Seunghee, President of Busan Association of Welfare Centers for the Disabled. They will discuss the purpose and direction of the project and sign the agreement.
The “BUS BF DAY” project is a program where transportation-vulnerable individuals, such as wheelchair users, experience local tourism in Busan by riding low-floor buses together with volunteer supporters. The project will officially launch in September.
Although more than 30% of all buses in Busan?about 1,000 vehicles?are low-floor buses, the actual experience of boarding low-floor buses among transportation-vulnerable groups, such as wheelchair users, remains significantly low.
Therefore, before further increasing the adoption rate of low-floor buses, the city has established an agreement to improve the boarding conditions for low-floor buses and foster a culture of social consideration for transportation-vulnerable groups. To this end, the first Tuesday of every month has been designated as “Low-Floor Bus Usage Day (BUS BF DAY),” and a commitment to joint cooperation with related organizations has been made.
“BUS BF DAY” is a city-wide campaign held on the first Tuesday of every month to improve the boarding conditions for low-floor buses among transportation-vulnerable groups, such as wheelchair users, and to foster a culture of social consideration. It is the first leading initiative of its kind in Korea, launched by Busan. The campaign symbolizes a day when buses and friends (BF) travel together in a barrier-free manner.
Upon agreement, the city will provide administrative support for the project; Busan Tourism Organization will discover barrier-free tourist attractions and plan related projects; Busan City Bus Transportation Association will cooperate with the operation of low-floor buses; and the Busan Association of Welfare Centers for the Disabled will recruit travel teams and serve as the main organizer.
The Busan Association of Welfare Centers for the Disabled, as the main organizer, will recruit travel teams from its 17 registered welfare centers for the disabled. From September to November, these teams will participate in tourism and cultural experiences in Busan using low-floor buses. Each travel team will consist of one wheelchair user and two supporters, with a total of 68 teams and about 200 participants.
Busan Tourism Organization planned this project as part of the “2024 Regional Tourism Organization MODI Joint Project” and proposed it to the city. Through interdepartmental communication and collaboration (Departments of Welfare for the Disabled and Public Transportation), the city decided to promote this collaborative project with the Busan City Bus Transportation Association and other agreement parties to improve mobility rights for the disabled and boarding conditions for low-floor buses.
In addition, after the signing ceremony, about 200 people, including representatives of the agreement organizations and supporters, will attend the appointment of a promotional ambassador and participate in disability awareness education.
On this day, the city and Busan Tourism Organization plan to appoint creator Kim Jiwoo, operator of the YouTube channel “Gulleora Gureunim,” as the promotional ambassador for “BUS BF DAY.” Mayor Park will personally present the appointment plaque.
Kim Jiwoo, a wheelchair user and creator, is a leading figure in promoting disability awareness through his YouTube channel. After the signing ceremony, he will conduct disability awareness education for the attendees.
Mayor Park Hyungjoon stated, “Through the operation of ‘BUS BF DAY,’ we aim to improve the boarding conditions for low-floor buses for transportation-vulnerable groups such as wheelchair users and foster a culture of social consideration, so that both people with and without disabilities can equally enjoy a ‘15-minute city, Safe Busan.’”
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
