New Routes for Geumchon and Munsan Begin Trial Operation on December 2
Introduction of 7 Hydrogen Buses, Paju's First... Expected to Serve as a Catalyst for a Hydrogen-Friendly City
Paju City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Kim Kyung-il) held an opening ceremony on December 2nd ahead of the pilot operation of 'Paprika,' the nation's first student-exclusive circular school bus created in collaboration with the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education and the Gyeonggi Paju Office of Education, as the service area expands to the northern region of Paju City, including Geumchon-dong, Munsan-eup, and Paju-eup.
Kim Kyung-il, Mayor of Paju City, and other officials are taking a commemorative photo after the opening ceremony of 'Paprika,' the nation's first student-exclusive school shuttle bus, on the 26th. Provided by Paju City
The opening ceremony held on the 26th, one week before the pilot operation, was attended by key guests including Kim Kyung-il, Mayor of Paju City; Choi Eun-mi, Superintendent of the Gyeonggi Paju Office of Education; Park Dae-sung, Chairperson of the Paju City Council; Councilor Son Hyung-bae; and principals from Saegyeong High School and Munsan Sueok High School. At the event, Kim On-yu, a student from Munsan High School, took the stage to express gratitude.
Paju City and the Gyeonggi Paju Office of Education began pilot operations last March on a route connecting 18 schools within Unjeong New Town, and have continuously consulted with related organizations such as the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly and Paju City Council to expand the service to northern areas of Paju including Geumchon and Munsan. Encouraged by the high performance of Paprika in Unjeong New Town, which recorded a cumulative ridership of 119,031 in less than a year since its introduction, Paju City is now able to actively respond to citizens' demands for expanding operations to the northern region.
The newly launched Paprika service in Geumchon and Munsan areas will operate on three routes, deploying seven eco-friendly hydrogen buses. Among these, Paprika routes G1, G2, and G3 each operate one bus per route, running from Unjeong as the starting point through Geumchon to Munsan Jeil High School. Two buses on route M1 run from Dangdong-ri to Saegyeong High School, while two buses on route M2 operate from Geumchon through Saegyeong High School to Munsan Sueok High School and Seonyu Middle School. Detailed route information is available on the Paju City Hall blog.
Although the expansion to the northern region started later than the new town, the deployment of eco-friendly hydrogen buses on all routes of Paprika draws particular attention. Paju City’s choice of Bongseo-ri, where the city’s first hydrogen refueling station recently opened, as the venue for the opening ceremony further emphasizes this significance.
Paju City is the first basic local government nationwide to enact the RE100 ordinance and is leading carbon neutrality efforts. By introducing hydrogen buses to Paprika, the city expects to play a pioneering role in becoming a hydrogen-friendly city through eco-friendly transportation.
Born from persistent policy demand for student-exclusive transportation and overcoming numerous constraints through proactive administration, Paprika’s expansion beyond Unjeong New Town to northern Paju stands out for establishing a foundation for customized educational development tailored to the region’s characteristics, designated as a leading area for educational development.
Choi Eun-mi, Superintendent of the Paju Office of Education, stated, “The expansion of Paprika to Geumchon, Munsan, and northern Paju is expected to evenly improve students’ commuting issues and take a step toward realizing true educational welfare.”
Mayor Kim Kyung-il of Paju City said, “Paprika is the fruit of administration dedicated entirely to citizens,” adding, “As a core policy of student transportation welfare that Paju City proudly supports, we will do our best to ensure that our students use the service without inconvenience.”
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