The Seoul Metropolitan Council on the 24th passed a local government ordinance bill that provides the basis for subsidizing bus fares for people age 70 and older that the city is pursuing.
At the second plenary session of its 336th regular meeting that day, the Seoul Metropolitan Council approved the "Seoul Metropolitan City senior transportation expense support local government ordinance bill." Of the 75 members present, 69 voted in favor, one against, and five abstained.
The bill approved that day was proposed by City Council Member Lee Byeong-yun, the chair of the Transportation Committee (People Power Party, Dongdaemun 1). It states that the Seoul Metropolitan Government may subsidize bus fares for seniors age 70 and older in Seoul.
The Seoul Metropolitan Council estimated that if bus fares were fully subsidized for seniors age 70 and older in Seoul, it would require an average of about 115.7 billion won per year.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government is reviewing a plan to raise the minimum age for free rides on urban rail from the current 65 to 70, and to allow those 70 and older to ride buses for free up to 14 times a month. The local government ordinance bill approved that day provides the legal basis for subsidizing bus fares among these measures. However, because raising the age for free urban rail rides to 70 was not included in the bill, the city must separately review whether implementing that measure is possible under current law.