Seoul Village Bus Transfer Withdrawal Still on the Table... "85% of Association Members Support"

84.6% of Association Members Support Withdrawal from Transfer System
Association Demands Compensation for Transfer Losses and Fare Increases
"Working-Level Meetings to Be Scheduled for Further Discussions"

The Seoul City Village Bus Transportation Association has once again officially reaffirmed its previous stance to withdraw from the village bus transfer system. The association has set January 1 of next year as the definitive date for withdrawal, and the conflict between the association and the Seoul Metropolitan Government continues.

According to the association on the 22nd, 104 out of 107 companies that attended an emergency general meeting at 2 p.m. the previous day responded to a survey on withdrawing from the transfer system. Of these, 88 companies (84.6%) supported implementing the withdrawal, 5 companies (4.8%) opposed it, and 11 companies (10.6%) remained undecided. Kim Yongseung, chairman of the association, stated, "Ahead of important negotiations with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, including the transfer withdrawal, this has once again become a crucial moment for the village bus industry to unite."

Yonhap News Agency

The association is demanding compensation for transfer losses and a fare increase from the city. When a passenger pays the village bus fare (1,200 won) and then transfers to the subway or city bus, the village bus company is reimbursed only 600 won, with the remaining 600 won counted as a loss. The association claims that since the city does not cover 100% of these losses, the more transfer passengers there are, the greater the losses for the operators. On October 2, the city and the association signed an agreement to improve transportation services, but only the standard and maximum amounts for financial support were decided, and issues related to compensation for transfer losses were not addressed.

The association and the city have differing views on whether withdrawal from the transfer system is actually possible. According to the association, the public transportation transfer agreement signed by the city and the association in 2004 stipulated that it would be valid until December 31 of that year and would be extended for one year unless any participating party expressed a different intention. Since then, the agreement has been automatically extended, but the association now insists on withdrawing. On the other hand, the city believes that unilateral withdrawal by the association is difficult under the law. According to Article 8 of the Passenger Transport Service Act, changes or adjustments to transportation fares require a change notification and approval from the city, and the city asserts that withdrawal from the transfer system falls under this requirement.

An association representative stated, "A schedule for discussions with the city has not yet been set," adding, "Since we have agreed to continue working-level meetings, we will set a date and hold detailed discussions on fares and transfer loss compensation."