Increase Road Heating Cables at 18 Locations for Snowfall Preparedness
Yangcheon-gu, Seoul (Mayor Lee Gi-jae) announced that it has established a "Comprehensive Winter Measures" plan to prevent various safety accidents and casualties caused by the winter cold wave, and will operate it for four months from this month until March 15 of next year.
The district plans to implement comprehensive measures in four areas: cold wave, snow removal, safety, and daily life, and operate the "Cold Wave Comprehensive Support Situation Room," consisting of five teams and 40 members, to respond immediately to emergencies and disasters that may occur during the winter season.
Yangcheon-gu Mayor Lee Gi-jae inspecting the snow removal measures site last winter. Provided by Yangcheon-gu.
This year, the district will respond quickly and effectively to heavy snowfall and blizzards on 411 km of road sections within the jurisdiction to minimize inconvenience to residents' daily lives. To this end, the number of road heating cables in vulnerable snow removal sections, such as side roads with a high risk of slip and traffic accidents during winter snowfall and habitual freezing areas, has been significantly expanded from 5 locations (745m) to 18 locations (2,432m). Major installation sites include Mokdongjungangbuk-ro 24-gil, Omok-ro 38-gil, Mokdongnam-ro 4-gil, Eunhaengjeong-ro 13-gil, Jungang-ro 29-gil, Nambusunhwan-ro 30-gil, and 18 other locations.
In addition, the aging snow removal bases in Sinjeong-dong and Mokdong have been reorganized to improve snow removal efficiency, and a snow removal countermeasure headquarters will be established and operated to systematically implement snow removal measures for rapid response to sudden heavy snowfall.
The district is also strengthening support for vulnerable groups during cold waves. The "Disaster Helpers," composed of health and medical professionals, elderly caregivers, community leaders, and local autonomous disaster prevention members, will operate 1,053 people, an increase of about 200 from last year, to check on residents and provide cold wave preparedness guidance when a cold wave advisory is issued.
Furthermore, until March next year, 78 cold wave shelters will be operated at district-run senior centers and welfare centers for the elderly, and 134 heated seats will be operated at bus stops to provide warmth. Windproof warming stations will be installed at 45 bus stops with high foot traffic.
Customized care services for elderly vulnerable to cold waves will also be strengthened. Smart care devices utilizing artificial intelligence speakers and Internet of Things technology will be installed in 680 households of elderly living alone or of advanced age to monitor safety, and during cold wave advisories, visits twice a week and daily phone calls will be made to carefully check on the well-being of the elderly.
Additionally, to ensure safe public transportation use during winter, a pre-inspection was conducted earlier this month on 36 village buses in the district to check for winter equipment readiness. Safety inspections will also be completed by the end of this month for about 760 locations including apartment complexes, construction sites, multi-use facilities, and traditional markets.
Mayor Lee Gi-jae said, "We will faithfully implement detailed comprehensive winter measures, including snow removal on alleyways, so that all residents can spend a warm and comfortable winter."
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