Kim Rahn is the managing editor of The Korea Times. Since joining the company in 2003, she has covered various beats including the presidential office, Seoul city government, the Bank of Korea and the tourism industry. In 2014, she won the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) award for her coverage of the ordeals of migrant women in Korea.
Double-deckers could solve Seoul's traffic jams
By Kim Rahn
By Kim Rahn
Double-decker buses will run on three routes between Seoul and cities in Gyeonggi Province in a pilot scheme next month.
The municipal governments will then decide whether to introduce these buses.
The double-deckers are being considered as a possible solutions to ease commuter frustrations that have arisen from the government’s no-standing rule on inter-city buses introduced in July to improve safety standards.
As passengers are no longer allowed to stand, buses skip the stops when all seats are taken and then many people have to wait for other buses.
Officials at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government said Monday it will operate a double-decker on three inter-city routes in November, for the duration of one week on each route.
Some double-decker buses are currently being used to transport tourists.
“Many transportation experts have suggested that double-deckers will help solve the problems following the no-standing rule,” said an official at the provincial government.
An Enviro500 manufactured by Britain’s Alexander Dennis will be used for the trial run. Having 79 seats, it is 12.86 meters in length, 2.55 meters in width and 4.15 meters in height. It will arrive at Pyeongtaek Port on Wednesday.
The double-decker will first run on the route between Suwon and Sadang Station in Seoul, where the vehicles will not breach height limits for passing through tunnels and traffic facilities. The other two routes will be decided soon.
The provincial government will then assess whether the buses are to be adopted on all routes.
“We’ll see what size of bus is the most suitable for Korean traffic conditions, whether passengers experience inconvenience when getting on and off and whether drivers can run the bus without major difficulties,” the official said.
It will discuss the adoption with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, as the operation may require regulation changes on height limits for public transportation. “We’ll talk about whether double-deckers will really help solve the problems from the no-standing rule,” he said.
Currently there are 23 double-deckers in Korea which cater for tourists and have 43 seats.
In 1991, Seoul City ran a pilot scheme, running three double-deckers between City Hall and Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, after three automakers imported and donated them to the city.
However, the operation of the buses could not continue because the height of the vehicles, between 4 and 4.2 meters, were higher than the height limits on that route.