Ulsan to phase out cash payments on city buses

Ulsan will launch a cashless pilot program on 100 city buses across 12 routes, as the city moves to align public transit operations with the growing shift toward transit card payments. The initiative aims to cut inefficiencies tied to fare box management and allow drivers to focus on safe operation.

According to Ulsan city, cash use on city buses has been steadily declining, yet maintaining fare boxes and collecting and reconciling cash revenue costs 340 million won ($255,000) a year. Cash payments have also caused boarding delays during change transactions and raised safety concerns over driver distraction.

In response, Ulsan has designated 12 routes — five limousine bus lines serving Ulsan Station and one key route each from seven bus operators — for the pilot. Passengers will have one month to adapt to the new payment system before the city transitions exclusively to transit card and bank transfer payments.

The 12 pilot routes are: No. 5001 between Ulsan Station and Kkotbawi, No. 5002, No. 5003 between Ulsan Station and Daean Ipgu, No. 5004 between Ulsan Station and Namchanggo, No. 5005 between Ulsan Station and Dalcheon Hoegwan, No. 713 between Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) and Myeongchon depot, No. 432 between Yuli public depot and Gyeongju Oidong Bueong Sarangeuro apartment, No. 124 between Yuli public depot and Dong-gu Jiwell City Xi, No. 1421 between Yuli public depot and Ulsan University Hospital, No. 1733 between Taehwagang Station and Yangwoo Naeane, No. 741 between Kkotbawi and Myeongchon depot, and No. 725 between Myeongchon depot and Deokha public depot.

Pilot buses will display notices and identification markings so passengers can confirm before boarding that the bus is operating under the cashless program.

Ulsan plans to analyze cash demand, bank transfer usage and operator feedback gathered during the pilot through year-end, then refine the system before expanding it to all city bus routes between January and March next year. The cashless policy will be extended to branch, village and community buses from April.