Enhancing Mobility and Convenience for Festival Visitors
Sooyoung Kim, a member of the Gwangju Seo-gu Council, announced that the "Ordinance on Supporting the Operation of Shuttle Buses for Local Festivals in Seo-gu, Gwangju," which she proposed during the 333rd extraordinary session, passed the relevant standing committee on September 9.
Assemblywoman Kim stated, "Every year, visitors to festival venues have faced recurring transportation inconveniences. The existing public transportation network alone has limited accessibility to festival sites, and the predominance of private vehicles has resulted in parking shortages and traffic congestion. With this ordinance, we aim to resolve these transportation issues through shuttle buses and foster the sustainable development of local festivals."
This ordinance includes provisions such as: allowing free use of district-owned vehicles or rented buses; permitting consignment to corporations or private operators; enabling flexible operation of shuttle bus routes and schedules tailored to each festival's characteristics; restricting shuttle bus use to festival visitors; and mandating advance publicity and prohibiting use for purposes other than the ordinance's intent, thereby enhancing transparency and fairness.
The implementation of this ordinance is expected to generate positive effects in various areas. First, visitor mobility will be dramatically improved, and issues such as public transportation congestion and illegal parking are anticipated to be alleviated. In addition, local residents will be able to travel to and from festival venues safely and conveniently, while the influx of outside tourists is expected to boost the local economy.
Assemblywoman Kim emphasized, "Festivals are a vital asset that simultaneously invigorate local culture and the economy, but persistent transportation inconveniences inevitably reduce participation. Through this ordinance, we have laid the foundation for both residents and visitors to enjoy festivals without transportation concerns." She added, "I will continue to identify practical, resident-focused policies to further enhance Seo-gu's competitiveness."
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