Seoul expands accessible bus travel options for wheelchair users

A Solati minibus operated by the Seoul Accessible Bus Service for wheelchair users. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government

Korea’s capital is broadening travel options for residents with mobility restrictions by easing regulations and expanding the geographic reach of its specialized accessible minibus fleet.

The Seoul Facilities Corporation, which manages public infrastructure in the capital, said Friday that its fleet of customized small buses will now operate overnight and travel deep into the country's central and eastern provinces. The policy shift aims to grant wheelchair users greater autonomy for long-distance and overnight travel.

Previously, the city's larger accessible coaches could be chartered for multiday trips across the country. However, its fleet of modified Hyundai Solati minibuses, which accommodate two wheelchair positions and six standard seats, were strictly restricted to same-day return trips within the boundaries of the Seoul metropolitan area.

Under the new directives, these mini-buses can now cross provincial lines into the Chungcheong and Gangwon regions, and can be booked for trips lasting up to two days and one night.

The policy adjustment follows a sharp rise in demand for accessible transit options in Korea. Annual bookings for Seoul’s specialized disability bus services more than tripled in two years, climbing from 134 trips in 2023 to 403 trips in 2025.

Municipal officials recognized that the smaller vehicles were underutilized, accounting for only 37 percent of total operations compared to a 63 percent utilization rate for larger coaches. Rigid occupancy requirements often led to last-minute cancellations. Previously, a trip would be called off if fewer than 80 percent of the registered passengers showed up on the day of travel.

The city has abolished the blanket percentage rule. Under the revised framework, a minibus will proceed with its itinerary as long as a minimum of three passengers — including at least one wheelchair user — are present.

The minibuses can be reserved online through the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s public reservation platform between three and 90 days in advance.

“This policy shift is a meaningful change that expands the travel radius of wheelchair users from the immediate capital region toward a nationwide scale,” Han Kook-young, the chairperson of the Seoul Facilities Corporation, said in a statement.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.