Nation's First Public Transportation Implementation for Passenger Ships
Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok "Expecting a Turning Point for Island Tourism Revitalization"
From this year, any citizen of Incheon can travel to and from 25 islands in Incheon, including Baengnyeong and Daecheongdo, at the same fare as city buses.
On the 3rd, Incheon City announced that it will officially implement the "Incheon I-Bada Pass" project, which lowers the coastal passenger ferry fare to 3,000 KRW round-trip (1,500 KRW one-way), the first of its kind nationwide.
This is the first project of the "Incheon Treasure Island Project," aimed at reducing the burden of relatively expensive maritime transportation fares compared to land public transportation fares, realizing the public transportation use of passenger ferries, and revitalizing the island region's economy.
Until now, only residents living on islands in Ganghwa-gun and Ongjin-gun could take passenger ferries at city bus fares, but from this month, all Incheon citizens will enjoy the same benefits. The eligible ferries include 16 vessels on 14 routes connecting Incheon mainland and 25 islands, excluding the Incheon-Pungdo (Ansan, Gyeonggi Province) route. Without any separate application process, discounted fares will be automatically applied when booking online or purchasing tickets at the terminal.
Until last year, Incheon citizens paid 20% of the coastal passenger ferry fare with city budget support. For example, on the Incheon-Baengnyeongdo ferry, which costs 151,800 KRW round-trip, Incheon citizens paid 39,600 KRW.
Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok is promoting the 'Incheon I-Bada Pass' to ferry passengers at the Incheon Port Coastal Passenger Terminal on the 2nd. Photo by Incheon City
The city expects that with the ferry fares to all islands in Incheon reduced to 3,000 KRW round-trip, the annual number of ferry passengers, currently around 600,000, will increase to 660,000. For residents of other cities and provinces, the subsidy on regular fares, which was 50%, will be expanded to 70% from this year, allowing them to use Incheon coastal passenger ferries by paying only 30% of the fare.
To announce the launch of the Incheon I-Bada Pass, Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok visited the Incheon Coastal Passenger Terminal on the 2nd, handing out informational leaflets to citizens and explaining the benefits and usage methods.
Mayor Yoo said, "This project is significant in guaranteeing the mobility rights of both island residents and tourists by making passenger ferries a form of public transportation," and added, "We expect it to invigorate the local economy through an increase in tourists."
Meanwhile, in addition to the Incheon I-Bada Pass project, the city is promoting the "Treasure Island Project," which includes the Arabaetgil Renaissance for creating the best marine tourism in the metropolitan area, leisure sports and tourism hub island development in Deokjeok and Jawol archipelagos, and the establishment of island logistics delivery systems using urban air mobility (UAM) and drones.
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