Seocho-gu, Safe Homecoming and Return Travel 'Seol Holiday Special Traffic Measures'

Operation of Traffic Control Situation Room During the Holiday Period

Seocho-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Jeon Seong-su) will implement special traffic measures from the 24th to the 30th of this month to ensure a safe and comfortable Lunar New Year holiday for travelers returning home and heading back.

Seocho-gu has a total of three bus terminals: Seoul Express Bus Terminal, Central City Terminal, and Nambu Terminal, where traffic volume and pedestrian flow are particularly high during the holiday period. As a large crowd is expected at the terminals, full efforts will be made to ensure safe passage.

Citizens boarding the homebound bus at the Express Bus Terminal in Seocho-gu, Seoul during last year's Lunar New Year holiday. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

To facilitate smooth movement for travelers returning home and heading back, 534 additional express and intercity bus services will be operated daily until the 3rd of next month. The transport capacity is increased by 34.4% compared to normal times, and it is expected that about 60,000 people will use express and intercity buses.

Additionally, on the 24th, when traffic volume is expected to be the highest, eight exemplary drivers will be stationed at four major intersections to educate drivers violating tailgating rules and maintain traffic order to reduce vehicle congestion. The deployment locations are Banpo Station Intersection, Seongmo Hospital Intersection, Samho Garden Intersection, and Gangnam Terminal Overpass Intersection.

Furthermore, a late-night crackdown team will be organized and operated to alleviate taxi boarding difficulties and crack down on illegal activities such as refusal of rides. The crackdown areas include four locations with many travelers returning home and heading back: Seoul Express Bus Terminal, Central City Terminal, Nambu Bus Terminal, and Yangjae Station Transfer Stop.

The district will operate a traffic control situation room during the holiday period to ensure the safe movement of travelers returning home and heading back. They will monitor transport status and traffic conditions and establish an emergency communication system with related organizations to do their best to make the Lunar New Year holiday comfortable and safe.

As a proactive preventive measure for the safety of terminal users, a joint safety inspection was conducted with Seoul City at the three passenger terminals. Facilities inside the terminals such as ticket offices, waiting rooms, boarding and alighting areas, and restrooms were inspected, and fire safety equipment and the presence of illegal cameras in restrooms were thoroughly checked.

District Mayor Jeon Seong-su said, “We will carry out this special traffic measure without fail so that residents can spend the Lunar New Year holiday safely and comfortably.”