The government is pushing a plan to phase out chartered commuter buses running to and from the Seoul metropolitan area that have been operated by public institutions transferred to the provinces. The idea is to wind down commuter bus operations to enhance the effect of the transfer of public institutions, while simultaneously preparing measures to improve living conditions in innovation cities.
According to the government on the 28th, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport sent an official letter on the 26th to relevant ministries requesting them to submit the operational status and future action plans for chartered commuter buses in the Seoul metropolitan area for public institutions transferred to the provinces. The letter said that because chartered commuter buses traveling to and from the metropolitan area do not align with the purpose of the transfer, their suspension should be reviewed, and tasks to improve living conditions should be identified alongside to minimize inconvenience for employees.
This measure follows President Lee Jae-myung recently saying that operating chartered buses to and from the metropolitan area after transferring public institutions undermines the effect of the transfer.
Accordingly, each ministry must submit to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) the operational status of chartered commuter buses for its affiliated public institutions, the scheduled time for suspension, and the results of actions taken. At the same time, it asked ministries to compile short-, mid-, and long-term improvement tasks related to housing, education, and medical services reflecting employees' actual living conditions, and to report them together by the end of February.
Separately from suspending commuter buses, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) also plans to conduct an additional survey of public transportation demand within innovation cities through local governments. The intent is to check for any transportation gaps that could arise if commuter buses disappear.
An official at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) said, "Commuter buses effectively recognize commuting to and from the metropolitan area, which we judge does not match the aim of revitalizing innovation cities," adding, "However, MOLIT does not have the authority to directly order public institutions to halt operations, so we requested cooperation from the ministries overseeing each public institution."