Seongdong-gu Operates 'Working School Bus' to Ensure No Care Gaps During School Breaks

From December 26 to February 28, a total of 61 Traffic Safety Instructors will guide 3 to 8 students each on their way to and from school according to the school vacation schedule... Care classrooms and after-school classrooms will operate during the vacation period for students using these services, eliminating any gaps in children's traffic safety care

Seongdong-gu, Seoul (Mayor Jeong Won-oh) announced that it will continue to operate the Walking School Bus program during school vacations to create a safe and secure route to and from school.

The Walking School Bus means a "walking school bus," where traffic safety instructors accompany children from grades 1 to 3 in elementary school on their commute, teaching traffic safety rules and preventing crimes and traffic accidents on the way to and from school.

Currently, Seongdong-gu has 124 traffic safety instructors responsible for the routes of about 1,200 children across 17 elementary schools and 42 routes.

The district operates the Walking School Bus during vacation periods to ensure there are no gaps in children's traffic safety. Starting from the 2022 winter vacation, the program began targeting students using after-school care classrooms, and from this summer vacation, the target has expanded to include students using after-school classrooms, with about 400 students currently participating.

This winter vacation as well, the Walking School Bus will continue to operate for students using after-school and care (including Neulbom) classrooms, covering 15 schools and 34 routes, ensuring the safety of a total of 333 students' commuting routes.

Additionally, by sharing their children's commuting status in real-time via social network services (SNS), the program has gained high trust and great response from parents. A satisfaction survey conducted in July recorded a high satisfaction rate of 99%, proving the effectiveness and necessity of the program.

The district stated that it will continue to operate the Walking School Bus thoroughly in 2025 by identifying the demand for care and Neulbom classrooms in accordance with the changing education system.

Jeong Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, "We are grateful that thanks to the active efforts of traffic safety instructors for our children, who are our future, we can protect the safety of their commuting routes," and added, "Through the solid operation of the Seongdong-gu Walking School Bus program, we will create a safe and happy city for children."