Disability rights activists halt commuter buses, drawing mixed public reactions

A member of Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination boards a commuter bus at a stop near Hyehwa Rotary in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on Wednesday, calling for a comprehensive revision of the law guaranteeing mobility rights for transportation-disadvantaged people. Yonhap

Disability rights advocates resumed a regular “bus-boarding” protest in Seoul on Wednesday for the first time in 22 years, calling on the Seoul Metropolitan Government to improve access to public buses for people with disabilities.

Members of Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination, along with other human rights activists, gathered at a bus stop in Hyehwa-dong, Jongno District, central Seoul, at 8 a.m.

The protesters, many of whom use wheelchairs, boarded arriving buses in groups of two or three. They used wheelchair ramps or lifts to board low-floor buses. On buses with steps, some left their wheelchairs and pulled themselves up the stairs using their arms and legs.

At one point, the protesters moved onto the road and blocked traffic after police attempted to divert approaching buses away from the stop where the demonstration was taking place.

The protesters criticized the Seoul city government for failing to fulfill its pledge to replace all city buses with low-floor models by 2025. They said people with disabilities remained unable to move freely around the city despite the enactment of legislation guaranteeing mobility rights in 2005.

“Buses with steps are discriminatory buses because wheelchair users cannot board them,” said Park Kyung-seok, head of the organization.

Park said the protests would continue until all barriers restricting the mobility of people with disabilities were removed.

Park Kyung-seok, head of Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination, calls for a comprehensive revision of the law guaranteeing mobility rights for transportation-disadvantaged people. Yonhap

The protest, held during the morning rush hour and causing delays to commuter buses, drew mixed reactions from passengers. Some complained to the protesters before getting off the bus.

“Nobody minds waiting a minute or two for a person with a disability to board,” said Lim, who got off near Hyehwa Station because of the disruption. “But I do not see the point of stopping the bus altogether for the protest.”

Others were more sympathetic. Jung, 73, said he understood the protesters’ cause despite the inconvenience.

“It is more important to ensure that people with disabilities can take buses,” he said.

Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination said it would immediately end the protests if a proposed comprehensive revision to the Act on Promotion of the Transportation Convenience of Mobility-Disadvantaged Persons is passed. The bill is intended to accelerate the introduction of low-floor buses.

Under the current law, bus operators are required to introduce low-floor vehicles when replacing or retiring buses on regular routes. However, operators may continue running buses with steps if they are granted exemptions because of road conditions, inadequate infrastructure or other constraints.

The proposed revision would extend the low-floor bus requirement to intercity buses and other services. It would also require local governments to provide alternatives, such as substitute routes, within three years when an exemption is granted.

The group said it plans to continue staging bus-boarding protests at the same location every Wednesday morning until its demands are met.

Asked for comment, a Seoul city official said the city is continuing discussions with the group over the introduction of more low-floor buses.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.