Hongseong County to Extend Majung Bus Operation During School Commute Hours Starting in April

Commuting Time for High School Students Between Naepo New Town and Gwangcheon-eup
Reduced to Within 50 Minutes

Meeting with Hongju Passenger Transport Officials in Hongseong County

Hongseong County in Chungnam will extend the operation of the Majung Bus during school commuting hours to overcome the limitations of the current transportation system, which has been centered around Hongbuk-eup and the existing Hongseong-eup, where more than half of the county's students reside.

On the 6th, Hongseong County announced that starting in April, the Majung Bus will be used as a school bus for high school students commuting between Naepo New Town and long-distance areas (Gwangcheon), significantly reducing the commuting time from 1 hour 20 minutes to within 50 minutes.

The population of Hongbuk-eup accounts for about one-third (35,000) of the county's total population of 99,600, and more than half of all students live there. However, due to the bus system being centered on Hongseong-eup, students in long-distance areas such as Gwangcheon-eup and Galsan-myeon have experienced significant inconvenience when commuting to school.

In fact, high school students commuting from Gwangcheon-eup, which has three high schools including K-POP High School, Chungnam Drone High School, and Seohae Samyook High School, to Naepo New Town have faced difficulties due to the lack of direct route buses, requiring transfers and resulting in long travel times.

Accordingly, after discussions with Hongju Passenger, the county determined that extending the operation of the existing Majung Bus during school commuting hours would be the most efficient solution. The plan is to operate the bus once for school arrival and once for departure, covering Chungnam Drone High School, Seohae Samyook High School, and K-POP High School.

In addition, for Naepo-Galsan High School, where commuting conditions are similar, most Naepo residents use the dormitory, so there is no immediate need for operation. However, the county plans to start the service immediately once the minimum number of required passengers is met.

Hongseong County Governor Lee Yongrok said, "Utilizing the Majung Bus for long-distance commuting students is advantageous because it can flexibly respond to the school commuting demand in areas with fewer students and improve the utilization rate of the Majung Bus, which has been previously pointed out. We will continue to monitor and improve the commuting conditions for students in the future."