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Seoul City Hall shows a selection of new environmentally-friendly vehicles that it hopes will enhance air quality. This photo shows an electric bus and a mini-car and scooter. / Courtesy of Seoul City Hall |
 By Do Je-hae
Staff Reporter
Seoul will introduce a series of new plans to upgrade citizen services in the areas of transportation, tourism and childcare in 2010, according to officials Thursday.
Mayor Oh Se-hoon is hoping that the following initiatives will improve citizens' lives and generate a favorable assessment of his tenure, which began in 2006, and help his chances in the forthcoming local elections.
In June 2010, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon will run in the local elections, seeking to renew his term for another four years.
Starting next year, Seoulites will experience some new changes in the bus and subway transportation networks.
Some subway extensions and new bus-only lanes in downtown Seoul will open for service in 2010. A new 2.9-kilometer section from Suseo, Gangnam-gu to Ogeum, Songpa-gu, on subway line 3 will run starting in January or February. Three new stations will be opened.
Bus-only lanes will be introduced on five main roads in downtown Seoul, including some parts of the 6.8-kilometer "Airport Road" connecting the Yeongdeungpo area to Gimpo International Airport.
The total length of new bus-only lanes to be introduced next year is 18.5 kilometers.
Buses running through downtown Seoul will be equipped with cameras for the purpose of regulating any violation of bus-only lanes and illegal parking. The violators' car information will be captured by the cameras and then sent directly to the traffic control center.
Some unsightly overpasses in the areas of Noryangjin and Mullae-dong will be removed. A bus-only lane will replace the Mullae overpass and an underground road will be built in Noryangjin.
Some six bus routes in the Gangseo region overlapping with subway line 9, which opened earlier this year, will be closed or adjusted.
Citizens can check the changes in the bus routes through an online service (http://bus.seoul.go.kr) or seek more information from the Dasan Call Center (02-414-5005).
When visiting local district offices for the issuance of official documents such as resident registration, citizens can pay for the necessary costs with their credit cards or transportation cards, known as the T-money card.
In addition, card payment will become more accessible at cultural and tourism facilities run by the Seoul City administration, such as the Seoul Museum of Art and the Seoul Museum of History.
Authorities have been forthcoming with new initiatives to promote tourism in Seoul, particularly ahead of the Visit Seoul 2010 campaign.
A new 2.6 kilometer streamlet will be created in the capital's signature mountain of Namsan in April and electric buses will run in the area. The streamlet will run through the village of traditional Korean houses to the northern walking trails in the mountains.
Starting in March, Seoul will run three bus routes that operate 15 rechargeable electric buses around the Namsan area.
Public bicycle rental systems will be installed at the Han River Park in October, providing citizens an opportunity to enjoy the sights through free bicycle rides. Twelve rental stations will be equipped with 600 bicycles around the park. They can be rented from and returned to any station.
Working couples with low incomes as well as single parents with infants under 12 months old can apply for childcare aid with the Seoul city administration.
The city will provide 11-hour childcare up to five days a week.
Meanwhile, Seoul City Council approved Tuesday a 21 trillion-won budget for the Seoul City government. Seoul will place much importance on policies directed at improving the quality of citizens' lives and will cut down on excessive expenses regarding events and festivals.
The city council approved more spending for social services, including after-school English lessons for the poor, more jobs for women, dental care for the disabled, internship opportunities at small- and medium- sized firms, and help centers for foreign workers.
jhdo@koreatimes.co.kr
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