Busan City Prepares Emergency Transportation Measures in Response to Urban Railway Strike

Busan Transportation Corporation Union Announces Strike Scheduled for 5 a.m. on October 11 if Labor Negotiations Fail

Subway Lines 1-3 to Maintain Regular Intervals During Rush Hours, 10-22 Minute Intervals at Other Times

The city of Busan announced emergency transportation measures to minimize inconvenience to citizens, as the Busan Transportation Corporation labor union has declared a strike starting from 5 a.m. on the 11th if labor-management negotiations fail. Accordingly, at 4 p.m. on the 8th, a countermeasure meeting was held to establish a cooperative system among relevant agencies.

Officials from the city, Busan Transportation Corporation, Busan Metropolitan Police Agency, Yangsan City, and other related organizations attended the meeting.

If the Busan Transportation Corporation union goes on strike, the main measures will include deploying substitute personnel in addition to essential staff. For Metro Lines 1 to 3, trains will operate as usual during rush hours with intervals of 4 to 5 minutes, and during other hours, intervals will be extended to 10 to 22 minutes, maintaining about 50% of normal service and an average operation rate of 70%. Line 4, which operates unmanned, will continue to run at 100% normal service.

To accommodate the reduced metro service of 70% compared to normal, the city will lift the alternate-day driving restriction for private cars from the day of the strike, concentrate taxis around metro stations, and encourage extended taxi operating hours. In addition, to respond to increased bus demand on the closing day of the Busan International Film Festival (October 11), extra late-night buses will be added to the Haeundae routes.

If the strike is prolonged, the city plans to increase the number of buses on routes connected to Metro Lines 1 to 3, deploy city officials on-site, and secure alternative transportation options to ensure citizens experience minimal inconvenience using public transportation.

Kang Heeseong, Director of the City’s Transportation Innovation Bureau, stated, “We will make every effort so that both labor and management at Busan Transportation Corporation can reach an agreement as soon as possible to prevent inconvenience to citizens caused by the metro strike. In preparation for any situation, we will thoroughly establish an emergency personnel operation plan to maximize train operation rates and use emergency text alerts to inform citizens of metro operation status during the strike, minimizing inconvenience.”