264 Traffic Accidents and 323 Violations in 5 Years
Im Miran, Gwangju City Council Member, "Threat to Vulnerable Road Users' Safety"
Im Miran, a member of the Gwangju Metropolitan Council (Democratic Party of Korea, Nam-gu 2), pointed out safety issues for citizens using the service due to frequent traffic violations by vehicles operated by the Gwangju Transportation Vulnerable Mobility Support Center (hereinafter referred to as the Center) during an administrative audit on the 7th.
According to Councilor Im, the total number of traffic violations by vehicles operated by the Center over the past five years reached 323 cases. Among them, ▲ speeding and speed violations accounted for 182 cases (56.34%), the highest number, followed by ▲ illegal parking and stopping with 62 cases (19.19%), ▲ signal violations with 44 cases (13.62%), and ▲ intersection crossing violations with 35 cases (10.83%).
Councilor Im criticized that such frequent violations pose a serious threat to the safety of transportation-vulnerable individuals.
He stated, “Transportation-vulnerable individuals are physically fragile and often have difficulty recovering in the event of an accident,” adding, “Sudden braking or rapid acceleration caused by traffic violations can cause physical discomfort to these individuals and greatly increase the likelihood of serious casualties in case of an accident.”
The main users of the Center are severely disabled individuals who use wheelchairs, accounting for 93% of the total, while the elderly and others make up 4%.
From November 2019 to October of this year, a total of 264 traffic accidents occurred over five years, of which 164 were due to fault and other causes, and there were 100 cases of damage. Fines and penalties imposed over the five years amounted to 16 million KRW, which have been paid by the respective drivers.
Councilor Im urged, “Safe mobility for transportation-vulnerable individuals should go beyond mere convenience and serve as an essential public service,” and ordered, “Thoroughly review measures to reduce traffic violations and ensure safety.”
Meanwhile, the Center started in 2008 with eight dedicated vehicles to guarantee mobility rights for severely disabled individuals and the elderly, and as of 2024, operates 345 vehicles including 127 dedicated vehicles and 218 voucher taxis.
The usage fee is about 20% of that of regular taxis, with a base fare (2 km) of 660 KRW, distance fare (150 m) of 30 KRW, and time fare (36 seconds) of 30 KRW, operating an average of 1,200 trips per day.
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