Pilot Operation of Priority Management Zones
for Electric Bicycles and Electric Scooters
to Begin in Sejong City
In order to create a safe environment for the use of personal mobility devices (PM), a pilot program for the Priority Management Zone system will be implemented starting from August 1, focusing on commercial areas and neighborhoods with many private educational institutes.
According to Sejong City on July 28, ongoing safety education has been conducted to foster a safe and orderly culture of personal mobility device use, and safety campaigns have been promoted in cooperation with related organizations such as the Sejong Police Agency.
However, as the use of electric bicycles and electric scooters continues to increase, the inconvenience to pedestrians and the risk of safety accidents have also risen. As a systematic management measure, the city decided to introduce the Priority Management Zone system. In fact, a joint survey on transportation improvement measures conducted in June identified indiscriminate parking of personal mobility devices as one of the main causes of transportation inconvenience.
The designated Priority Management Zones include six areas where commercial districts and educational institute neighborhoods are concentrated and where civil complaints are frequent: Naseong-dong, Dodam-dong, Boram-dong, Areum-dong, Jongchon-dong, and Jochiwon-eup. In these zones, parking personal mobility devices outside of designated parking areas will be strictly prohibited. There are a total of 71 parking zones for personal mobility devices within the Priority Management Zones, including 67 physical parking areas and 4 virtual parking areas.
Personal mobility device users can check the locations of parking and no-return zones through the app maps provided by each operating company. If a device is returned outside a designated parking area, the operating company will charge the user an additional fee of at least 3,000 won, according to its policy. The city plans to gradually expand the application of these measures based on operational results.
Cheon Heungbin, Director of the Transportation Bureau, stated, "The operation of the Priority Management Zones aims to create an environment where users of electric bicycles and electric scooters can coexist with pedestrians," and added, "We will minimize inconvenience to citizens caused by personal mobility devices while also establishing a foundation for voluntary order among users."
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