Tourist Sites like Folk Village Connected to Giheung and Sanggal Stations
Call Vehicles via App... City Bus Fares Applied
Yongin City in Gyeonggi Province announced on the 27th that its tourism-oriented Demand Responsive Transit (DRT) service, 'Tabayong,' will be converted into a paid regular service starting from the 29th.
'Tabayong' is a new concept public transportation system connecting major tourist attractions such as Korean Folk Village in Giheung-gu, Gyeonggi Museum, Nam June Paik Art Center, and Singal Urban Regeneration Project site, with transportation hubs including Giheung Station, Sanggal Station, and Singal Bus Stop. Users can select their departure and destination points via a mobile app to call and board a vehicle.
The city installed 16 stops to enable convenient travel between major tourist sites and transportation hubs. Visitors using the Suin-Bundang Line or intercity and express buses to visit tourist spots can use the service more conveniently.
Earlier, through monitoring and data analysis of the two-month pilot operation conducted from September 23, the city identified peak demand times, adjusted drivers' break times, and repositioned vehicle waiting locations based on call frequency. Improvements requested by users were also incorporated, and a new stop at Giheung-gu Office was added starting from the 8th. As of November, the average daily number of Tabayong users was 160, with a total of approximately 8,000 users during the pilot period, according to the city.
The fare for the official service will be 1,450 KRW (adult rate), the same as the Gyeonggi city bus fare. Users who register their transportation card number on the mobile app and pay with that card will also receive transfer discounts.
To coincide with the launch of the regular service, the city has prepared various events. Some respondents to a user satisfaction survey among passengers will be selected to receive small prizes. Foreigners visiting connected tourist sites using Tabayong will be given souvenirs of Yongin City's mascot, 'Joayang.'
A city official stated, "Based on the pilot operation analysis, we judged that stable service is possible and thus transitioned to an official paid service. We will focus more on improving service quality and promotion so that many citizens and tourists can use it without inconvenience."
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