Seoul Buses Slower Than 10 Years Ago Due to Increase in Gwangyeok Buses

Seoul City Adds Dedicated 'Gwangyeok Transfer Centers' for Metropolitan Buses

The average speed of buses in Seoul has decreased by 2 km/h compared to 10 years ago.

Dangsan Station Metropolitan Transfer Center Crowded with Passengers / Photo by Yonhap News

According to an analysis by the Seoul Metropolitan Government on the 385 trunk, branch, circular, and metropolitan bus routes operated in Seoul last year, the average bus speed was 18.0 km/h. This is 2 km/h slower compared to the average speed of 20 km/h in 2013, 10 years ago.

Compared to 10 years ago, the average speed of trunk buses decreased from 18.7 km/h to 17.9 km/h, branch buses from 17.8 km/h to 17.1 km/h, and metropolitan buses from 26.5 km/h to 24.7 km/h. The speeds slowed down in the order of metropolitan buses, trunk buses, and branch buses.

The Seoul bus industry points to the increase in metropolitan buses entering Seoul as a major cause of the slower speeds. Since bus-only lanes are limited and traffic volume has increased, speeds have dropped.

The city is considering building additional dedicated 'Metropolitan Transfer Centers' for metropolitan buses. The city has already constructed a metropolitan bus transfer center directly connected to the station near Dangsan Station, and plans to build more in other areas to reduce congestion caused by the mixing of trunk and metropolitan buses.

A city official said, "We will build additional metropolitan transfer centers and, in the long term, consider adjusting bus routes."