New Route 2 covers 17 stops one-way, connecting Junggye, Sanggye and Bullamsan stations
Seoul's Nowon-gu is expanding its free community circulator bus service, known as the "Nowon Happiness Bus," to cover the Sanggye-dong area, with the new route launching June 16.
The Nowon Happiness Bus was designed as a lifestyle-oriented transit service to ease the mobility difficulties faced by residents in areas underserved by village and city bus routes. The free service helps riders reach a range of public facilities, including sports facilities, community service centers, public health clinics, libraries and cultural arts venues.
The new Route 2 was finalized through a route review committee, running one-way between Junggye Station, Sanggye Station and Bullamsan Station across a total distance of 11.8 kilometers. The route serves 17 stops with a journey time of approximately one hour and five minutes. Four 25-seat minibuses operate at 20-minute intervals. Two transfer stops connecting Route 2 to the existing Route 1 will also be in service — one at the public parking lot behind Nowon Civic Hall and another at Eunhaeng Intersection across from the Junggye 1-dong Community Service Center. Nowon-gu said the transfer links with Route 1, which covers the Wolgye, Gongreung and Junggye areas, will improve cross-district mobility and strengthen connectivity between residential zones.
The Nowon Happiness Bus currently carries an average of about 600 passengers a day, nearly double the ridership recorded when the service first launched. Officials attribute the growth to the fully free fares, which ease the financial burden on residents during a period of high inflation, and to routes tailored closely to everyday destinations. The service has been credited with improving residents' quality of life and access to public facilities by allowing them to travel to various community venues without any cost or transfer burden.
By Park Jong-il, senior reporter
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
