Routes 210 and 6 Circulating Downtown Outskirts Discontinued
Two Route-Type Smart Buses Introduced in Central Icheon
Icheon City in Gyeonggi Province is accelerating the redesign of its routes for more efficient operation of the public transportation network.
From the 15th, Icheon City will increase the number of Ttokbus services operating within the city area. Photo by Icheon City
Icheon City announced that, starting from the 15th, it will discontinue bus routes 210 and 6, which previously circulated the outskirts of the downtown area, and adjust the operating frequency of route 200. Instead, the city will deploy two route-type Smart Buses in sections with high citizen demand.
Route 1 (D13) of the route-type Smart Bus will connect the Galsan and Jeungpo areas with Icheon Station. The first bus from Icheon Station will depart at 6:00 a.m., and the last bus will depart at 12:10 a.m. the following day. Route 2 (D14) will improve access to areas, including Icheon Medical Center, where public transportation accessibility has been lacking. The first bus from Icheon Station will depart at 6:10 a.m., and the last bus will depart at 10:30 p.m.
The newly introduced route-type Smart Buses are 25-seater, eco-friendly, medium-sized, low-floor electric buses. In addition to 16 seats, standing passengers are also allowed, making them more efficient than the existing Smart Buses, which primarily consisted of smaller vehicles.
The operation method is route-based, circulating major hubs. Passengers can easily make a reservation for boarding through the Smart Bus call app "Ddokta." For citizens who have difficulty using smartphones, a phone call reservation service is also available.
Meanwhile, the city plans to repurpose the two discontinued city buses as student shuttle buses starting from October 13.
Kim Kyunghee, Mayor of Icheon, stated, "With this route reorganization, the newly introduced route-type Smart Buses in the downtown area will provide transportation services that are even more closely aligned with citizens' mobility needs. We will continue to push for transportation system reforms to further enhance citizen convenience."
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