Yangju City in Gyeonggi Province will begin operating its Ddok Bus service between the Eunhyeon and Nam-myeon areas and Deokjeong Station on a regular basis starting December 22.
The Yangju Ddok Bus, which was launched in August 2023 in the Okjeong New Town area, has been expanded to western township areas since June 2025, thanks to strong support from users. However, in the Eunhyeon and Nam-myeon regions, the usage rate has been relatively low due to a lack of convenient living facilities, prompting the city to adjust operations to address this issue.
As part of the improvements, the Ddok Bus, which previously only operated within the Eunhyeon and Nam-myeon areas, will now run regularly to Deokjeong Station, a key transfer hub and center for major amenities in the region. Accordingly, the fixed-route Ddok Bus, which previously operated four times a day during commuting hours, will now only maintain the first run at 06:00, with the second to fourth runs (07:30, 17:00, 18:30) to be discontinued.
In addition, to improve commuting conditions for students at Baekseok High School who reside in Eunhyeon and Nam-myeon, the city plans to open a stop at Baekseok High School on weekdays, allowing the Ddok Bus to serve this location. Previously, there was only one route connecting Eunhyeon, Nam-myeon, and Baekseok High School, causing significant inconvenience for students, but this measure is expected to improve their commuting experience.
Furthermore, for village senior centers and industrial complexes in Eunhyeon and Nam-myeon that are far from existing bus stops and have made it difficult to use the Ddok Bus, dedicated virtual stops will be installed. This will allow transportation-vulnerable residents and industrial complex employees to access the Ddok Bus from locations closer to them.
An official from Yangju City stated, "After six months since the introduction of the Ddok Bus, we have comprehensively reviewed the operational status and user requests in the Eunhyeon and Nam-myeon areas, which led to these service improvements," adding, "We will continue to develop tailored transportation policies that reflect local characteristics and strive to enhance transportation convenience in ways that citizens can truly feel."
The demand-responsive Ddok Bus is a new concept in public transportation that allows passengers to board at their desired location by calling through the dedicated 'Ddokta' app or by phone. It has become a major means of transportation in areas where regular route buses do not operate or have long intervals between services, earning high satisfaction among local residents.
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