"Please Yield"... What the Driver Did When a Guide Dog Boarded the Bus

Passengers and Driver Unite to Help Guide Dog and Visually Impaired Passenger

A visually impaired person and a guide dog boarding Bus No. 740. Seoul City Bus Transportation Business Association

A touching story has emerged about a bus driver and passengers helping a visually impaired person and their guide dog to travel safely on a city bus.

According to the Seoul City Bus Transportation Association on the 2nd, a compliment was posted on the 'Let's Praise' board in the customer feedback section of the association's website on the 22nd of last month.

A passenger who stated they boarded bus number 740 at 5 p.m. on the 21st of last month said, "While many people were boarding at Seongmo Hospital, a visually impaired person boarded with a guide dog, but there were no empty seats," adding, "At that moment, the driver looked around the passenger seats and politely asked for someone to give up their seat."

They continued, "A passenger in the front seat kindly gave up their seat, and after the visually impaired person sat down, the bus departed," and "Of course, the driver also expressed gratitude to the passenger who gave up their seat."

The bus driver in this heartwarming story was identified as Bang Seung-yong (46) from Sinchon Transportation. He explained, "There were many passengers boarding, so I was being careful, and then I noticed the guide dog. The passenger next to the guide dog had their eyes closed, so I instinctively knew they were visually impaired," adding, "I thought it might be rude to directly say 'visually impaired,' so I omitted the title and politely asked the seated passengers to give up their seat."

Meanwhile, the Seoul City Bus Transportation Association conducts four hours of refresher training for drivers every year. The training includes how to recognize guide dog identification, legal obligations, and guidelines for visually impaired people and their guide dogs boarding buses.

According to the Welfare of Disabled Persons Act, if a disabled person accompanied by an assistance dog is refused boarding on public transportation without justifiable reason, a fine of up to 3 million won may be imposed.