A new metropolitan express bus route connecting Bubal-eup in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, to Jamsil Station in Seoul will begin service Monday. A separate route linking Yangju's자이 complexes 6 and 7 to Gangnam Express Bus Terminal will launch July 30.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Metropolitan Area Transportation Commission announced Tuesday that it has expanded five semi-public metropolitan bus routes, including the two new lines.
The five new metropolitan bus routes will begin service between July and August. The first to launch is Route 3303, an express seated bus running from Bubal-eup in Icheon to Jamsil Station, starting Monday. On weekdays it will operate 32 times a day from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., with headways of 20 to 40 minutes.
Route 1407 will follow on July 30, running from Yangju's자이 complexes 6 and 7 to Gangnam Express Bus Terminal. The express seated bus will run 28 times a day on weekdays from 5 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., with intervals of 30 to 45 minutes.
On Aug. 1, Route 4105, an express seated bus originating in Yongin, will connect Yangji Pine Resort to Seoul Station, running 32 times daily from 5:40 a.m. to 10:40 p.m. at 15- to 25-minute intervals. On Aug. 3, Route M5165, a metropolitan rapid bus from a depot in southern Suwon, will serve the Seoul Station corridor 40 times a day from 4:50 a.m. to 10:50 p.m. at 20- to 50-minute intervals. On Aug. 31, Route 1108, an express seated bus originating in Uijeongbu, will run between Beodeulgae and KT Corp's Gwanghwamun branch 34 times daily from 5 a.m. to 10:50 p.m. at 25- to 40-minute intervals.
The commission said the new routes are expected to improve public transit access and cut commute times for residents in the affected areas.
Under the semi-public bus system, private transport companies operate the buses while the central and local governments hold licensing and management authority over the routes and subsidize a portion of operating costs. The arrangement is designed to ensure both the public character and operational stability of the service while enabling more systematic public transit.
The commission finalized a total of nine new semi-public routes last year — including the five now entering service — following a demand survey and feasibility review conducted with local governments.
The remaining four routes are set to open in stages by year's end: Route 6410 from Gwangmyeong Dome Velodrome to Nonhyeon Station in Gwangmyeong; Route M4166 from Kangnam University to Seoul Station in Yongin; Route 4404 from Anseong Bus Terminal to Gyodae Station in Anseong; and Route M6467 from Bucheon University's Sosa campus to Yangjae Station in Bucheon.
The commission said it plans to monitor ridership on each semi-public route regularly, adjusting headways and adding buses as needed, and streamlining routes to ease peak-hour congestion and ensure the long-term viability of the semi-public system.
"The addition of these semi-public routes is expected to significantly improve mobility for residents in underserved parts of the greater Seoul area," said Park Ji-hong, a standing commissioner at the commission. "We will continue to expand the metropolitan bus semi-public network, focusing on areas with inadequate service and heavy congestion."
smh@heraldcorp.com
