Capt. Hong Dong-hwa and Capt. Lee Chong-myeong, who operate the Hangang Bus, emphasized "safety" as the top principle of operation in an interview with ChosunBiz on the 1st. They said they decide whether to operate after comprehensively considering the designated route, water depth, and weather standards.
Hong said, "We operate only on the designated route and manage water depth through dredging about twice a year." Lee said, "The maximum is 17 knots, but we operate at 12 knots considering depth and on-time performance."
In its early rollout last year, the Hangang Bus had 19 incidents, including the bottom touching in shallow sections, but then dredging and depth surveys were carried out over an 8.9km stretch including the north end of Hannam Bridge, and the height of buoys was raised from 1.4m to 4.5m. There have been no additional incidents this year.
Hong said, "We do not operate if visibility is less than 1km, and we assess and manage the terrain using 3D scanning and a route monitor."
Lee said, "There's been talk here and there about the Hangang Bus project, but those who have actually ridden it often tell the staff, 'It's good, it's fun.' We see it positively because satisfaction is high and ridership keeps growing." The following is a Q&A with Capt. Hong and Capt. Lee.
─Does the Hangang Bus operate with Autonomous Driving, or does the captain steer directly?
(Capt. Lee Chong-myeong, hereafter Lee) "Large merchant ships use an automatic navigation system, but the Hangang Bus does not. The captain drives 100% manually."
─How do you check the route?
(Capt. Hong Dong-hwa, hereafter Hong) "There is a route monitor next to the helm. The designated route is shown in white, and our vessel's track is shown in red. We operate based on that. Because it's a flowing river, there are minor deviations, but there are no severe departures from the route."
─How shallow is the shallowest point on the route?
(Hong) "About 3m. The draft of this vessel is about 1.8m, so there is more than 1m of clearance even in the minimum-depth section."
─There was a recent cruise ship grounding. Is the Hangang Bus safe?
(Hong) "In the case of the Hangang Bus, we operate only on the routes designated by the Seoul city government. We dredge those routes about twice a year to secure depth, and additional dredging is possible if needed. We also check water depth in real time via the route monitor while operating. Seoul has also mapped the entire area the Hangang Bus runs using 3D scanning. The height of buoys was also raised from 1.4m to 4.5m to improve visibility."
─Is it still safe when heavy rain raises the water level?
(Lee) "Jamsu Bridge is the standard. If the clearance between the water surface and the bridge is not at least 7.3m, operation is not allowed under the manual."
(Hong) "If Jamsu Bridge goes underwater during the monsoon season, we cannot operate."
─Do you suspend operations when it rains?
(Hong) "Visibility matters more than the rain itself. We do not operate unless at least 1km of visibility is secured."
─Has the number of passengers increased a lot recently?
(Hong) "As it's spring and flowers are blooming in the area, demand has surged. Even today, a weekday, more than 100 people boarded at Yeouinaru alone. On weekends, there are so many passengers waiting at the pier that some have to take the next boat. On weekends, you can assume sailings are full."
(Lee) "There's been talk about the Hangang Bus project, but people who have actually ridden it often tell the staff, 'It's good. It's fun.' Satisfaction is high and ridership keeps increasing, so we see it positively."
─It was introduced for commuting, but some point out the first boat is late.
(Hong) "For commuting, on-time performance is important. However, right now we are focusing more on safety than punctuality. As it has been about a month since we resumed operations, safety is stabilizing, and we will now focus on improving punctuality. As a first step, we are preparing to add a morning express route. We plan to move the first departure up to 7 a.m. With the express route, it will take just 50 minutes from Jamsil to Yeouido."
─How many Hangang Bus vessels are there now in total?
(Hong) "There are currently nine vessels. Of the nine, four are assigned to the Yeouinaru–Jamsil section, and three to the Magok–Yeouinaru section. Of the remaining two, one is under maintenance and the other is kept as a standby vessel for emergency deployment. Three more vessels are scheduled to arrive. Once all are delivered, there will be 12 in total."
─Do all nine vessels have the same specifications?
(Hong) "There are slight differences. Currently, five of the nine are hybrid (diesel+electric) types, and four are 100% electric-propulsion vessels. The hybrid vessels have a capacity of 199 passengers, and the electric vessels 155. The additional vessels to be delivered will all be hybrids, but they are slated to come in 155-passenger configurations."
─Is the difference in maximum passenger capacity due to different ship sizes?
(Hong) "The ship size is the same. The difference comes from the number of seats. The 155-passenger layout has more legroom front-to-back than the 199-passenger layout, and the aisle space is wider."
─Other than the general name Hangang Bus, do the vessels have specific names?
(Lee) "They have a numbering name and a name taken from a Seoul landmark. This vessel is called Hangang Bus-109 or Hangang Bus-DDP. It is 100% electric-propulsion."
─How many crew members board a vessel?
(Hong) "A total of four crew members: one captain, one chief engineer, one deck officer, and one crew member."