Last month, amid ongoing heat waves, there were approximately 3,500 complaints about it being "hot" per day on the Seoul subway. There were also about 100 complaints per day indicating that the air conditioning was too cold.
On the 13th, the Seoul Transportation Corporation noted that it was experiencing difficulties in handling urgent complaints about heating and cooling issues on the trains.
According to the Seoul Transportation Corporation, complaints regarding heating and cooling on trains have shown an increasing trend every year. Complaints of it being "hot" average around 500 per day from January to February, but from May, when the heat begins, this jumps to over 3,000. The complaints of it being "cold" were most numerous in May, with 259 complaints recorded between January and July this year. In July, amid the heat wave, this number dropped to 105.
At the end of May this year, temperatures temporarily soared, resulting in a 0.6% increase in "hot" complaints from May to July compared to last year. In contrast, "cold" complaints decreased by 11.6%.
From January to July this year, a total of 505,148 complaints such as "hot" and "cold" regarding heating and cooling on trains were received. These complaints accounted for 79.6% of the total inconvenience complaints (634,749) submitted to the customer center.
Statistics from the past five years indicate that complaints about heating and cooling were concentrated on Line 2, which has the highest ridership at 39.9%. Lines 7 (19.0%), 3 (12.7%), and 5 (10.8%) followed.
To reduce complaints about heating and cooling, the Seoul Transportation Corporation has attached stickers on Lines 8 and 2 stating that "the cabin temperature is automatically maintained." They are also producing a video to inform passengers that the perception of temperature can vary depending on factors such as the required temperature according to the Ministry of Environment's guidelines and crowding, which is being displayed on platforms.
The Seoul Transportation Corporation mentioned that due to a surge in complaints about heating and cooling, customer center staff are being hindered in handling urgent complaints such as medical emergencies. They recommend submitting complaints via the "Ddotaji Subway" app or the official chatbot (https://chat.seoulmetro.co.kr) when feeling too hot or cold while using the trains.
Ma Hae-geun, head of the sales division at the Seoul Transportation Corporation, said, "I ask that you refrain from raising complaints about heating and cooling so we can promptly handle urgent complaints, including emergency situations on the trains, and issues that disrupt order."