Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon on the 25th said of the Hangang Bus, which is set to fully resume service on Mar. 1, "By around this fall, if about 500,000 citizens try it, I expect a fair, objective evaluation will emerge."
Oh said this during the Seoul Metropolitan Council's 334th extraordinary session when Council Member Hong Guk-pyo (People Power Party, Dobong 2) asked about the Hangang Bus's operating direction and fiscal sustainability.
He added, "Every world-class city has a river with boats," and said, "Given the asset value of the Han River, the Hangang Bus will decisively contribute to creating a brand image that represents Seoul."
Oh also said, "Rather than stopping because of early trial and error, it is the responsibility of the administration to make up for shortcomings and improve completeness."
Safety concerns over the Hangang Bus were also raised during the questioning session. When Council Member Park Su-bin of the Democratic Party of Korea said, "A joint inspection by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the private sector found 28 violations of regulations related to the Hangang Bus, 39 cases of insufficient maintenance, and 53 recommendations for improvement, totaling 120 cases," Oh replied, "There were also criticisms like the elevator switch being installed too high or too low," and added, "Seeing that, I thought it was really over the line."
He went on, "We have already corrected 89 operation-related issues, and I was briefed that preparations for service are complete."
Oh also responded when Park pointed out "the Hangang Bus's accessibility issue," saying, "Synthesizing experiences from all countries, because of river climate and terrain conditions and the limitations of boats as a mode, there are many minor breakdowns and minor accidents," and added, "It is an undeniable fact that this is a business with many hurdles, with about 400 accidents a year on the Thames and about 140 a year on the Hudson."