Seoul Metro said it will conduct a companywide intensive campaign at all 276 stations on Lines 1–8 from Tuesday through July 31 to help establish and raise public awareness of its new restrictions on large-capacity lithium batteries and personal mobility devices (PMDs), which took effect July 1.
The campaign is a follow-up measure aimed at communicating the policy's goal of proactively preventing lithium battery-related accidents, boosting public understanding and participation, and quickly embedding a safety culture in which passengers refrain from bringing large-capacity lithium batteries onto the subway.
Seoul Metro will install additional posters and banners at stations, expand in-station and in-train announcements, and use official social media channels and other platforms to continuously inform the public about which items are restricted and what safety rules apply.
At 30 major transfer and high-traffic stations, headquarters staff and station employees will jointly hold campaigns twice a week using banners and placards. The remaining stations will run their own parallel campaigns, ensuring passengers across all Lines 1–8 stations receive focused information about the policy changes.
Seoul Metro will also use the intensive outreach period to clarify that batteries powering mobility aids for people with disabilities — such as electric wheelchairs — are not subject to the restrictions, in order to minimize public misunderstanding of the policy.
Under revised passenger transport terms that took effect July 1, Seoul Metro prohibits passengers from carrying portable auxiliary batteries exceeding 160 watt-hours and PMDs powered by lithium batteries inside stations and on trains. The measure is intended to proactively address the fire risk posed by lithium batteries and create a safer subway environment.
Lithium battery-related incidents have continued to occur — including a case last Tuesday at Sindang Station in which smoke was detected from a portable auxiliary battery a passenger was carrying — and Seoul Metro said it will keep working to ensure a safe subway culture takes firm hold.
"Prevention is paramount when it comes to lithium battery fires, which makes public understanding and cooperation absolutely essential," said Ma Hae-geun, head of Seoul Metro's operations division. "We will continue our outreach and guidance efforts so that a safe subway culture — one where all passengers can ride with peace of mind — can take root."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
