Mayor Park Ilha Conducts Emergency On-Site Inspection on First Day of Bus Strike in Dongjak District

Emergency Transportation Headquarters Activated
40 Shuttle Buses Deployed

On January 13, Park Ilha, Mayor of Dongjak District in Seoul, visited the scene from the first bus departure time to conduct an emergency inspection aimed at minimizing inconvenience to residents as city bus drivers went on strike in Seoul.

Park Ilha, Mayor of Dongjak District, is boarding the free shuttle bus operated by the district to guide residents. Provided by Dongjak District.

The district activated its Emergency Transportation Countermeasure Headquarters at 9 a.m. on January 12 and will operate free shuttle buses connecting to subway stations until the strike ends.

The shuttle buses are deployed on five routes, focusing on areas monopolized by city buses where alternative transportation is scarce, with a total of 40 vehicles in operation. The service runs from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., with intensive operations during rush hours from 7 to 9 a.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. During other times, buses operate at 20- to 30-minute intervals. Each shuttle bus has one staff member on board to provide guidance to residents and assist drivers with stop information, improving travel convenience.

Mayor Park personally boarded Route 2, which circulates between Nodeul Station and Gyeonghyang Lexvill, to inform residents about the bus strike, assist with boarding and alighting, and distribute leaflets, making every effort to minimize confusion caused by the strike.

As of 9 a.m. on January 13, the free shuttle buses had operated 120 times, transporting 1,162 passengers over three hours to support smooth commutes. The district will continue to monitor operations throughout the day of the strike and flexibly adjust the number of vehicles based on passenger demand. Detailed information is available on the Dongjak District website, blog, and other social networking services (SNS).

Mayor Park Ilha stated, "I came to the site to directly check on the inconvenience experienced by residents due to the city bus strike and to alleviate their concerns," adding, "I will continue to personally oversee the situation and take immediate action as needed to ensure that the transportation gap is minimized."