Gyeonggi Education Office Expands Student Shuttle Bus Service to Six Regions with Poor Commuting Conditions

The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education will expand its student shuttle bus service to six regions within the province.

On August 7, the office announced that it will extend the "limited license student shuttle bus," which was first introduced last year in Paju, Uijeongbu, and Gwangju?the first such initiative in the country?to additional areas including Pocheon, Icheon, and Anseong this year. The program aims to support students in regions with poor commuting conditions.

Pocheon began operating the service in March as part of its Special Education Development Zone project. Icheon signed a memorandum of understanding with the Icheon Office of Education on July 28 and will start running the shuttle buses in October. Anseong is aiming to launch the service within this year.

Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education Southern Office

Unlike school-based shuttle buses, the student shuttle bus operates across multiple schools within a designated area, allowing students to freely choose the stop closest to their home or school. A limited license means that the local government head grants a license specifying the permitted users or operating hours.

In addition, students can check bus locations and use public transportation transfers. The education office and local governments directly handle administrative tasks such as contracting with transportation companies and setting routes, which has received positive feedback from students, parents, and schools alike.

Furthermore, the limited license student shuttle bus was selected as the top winner at last year's Ministry of Education's Best Practices in Proactive Administration Competition. The project has also been recognized for its excellence in various fields, including the Grand Prize at the Gyeonggi Province City and County Regulatory Innovation Best Practices Competition and selection as an outstanding case in the Special Education Development Zone pilot area (Paju). As a result, it has drawn considerable attention from other provincial education offices and local governments.

In addition to introducing the student shuttle bus, the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education continues to develop and implement new projects to ensure safe and convenient student commutes, including creating operation guidelines for school vehicles and supporting education offices with vehicle rental contracts.

Meanwhile, following the revision of the Enforcement Decree of the Passenger Transport Service Act in April, education office heads are now permitted to sign school vehicle rental contracts, a responsibility previously limited to school principals. Accordingly, the education office is preparing to have education office heads handle school vehicle contracts starting next year, in order to reduce the administrative burden on schools and improve operational efficiency.