The Seoul Metropolitan Government has raised public transportation costs for the first time in eight years since 2015. Only basic fares will be adjusted for both buses and subways, and additional fees per distance applied to integrated transfers and subway distance proportion in the Seoul metropolitan area will be frozen. Subway fares are planned to rise to 1,440 won in the second half of this year and 1,550 won next year. City bus fares rose by 300 won, while trunk and branch buses rose to 1,500 won, circulation buses to 1,400 won, and community buses to 1,200 won. 3,000 won was applied to metropolitan buses, and 350 won was raised to 2,500 won for late-night buses.
Citizens who use public transportation often, feel burdened by the increase in public transportation costs that took effect this year and the increase that will occur in next year and have expressed their dissatisfaction. Civic groups are strongly opposed to passing the increased burden being put on citizens, but the Seoul Metropolitan Government is against delaying the increase any longer. The Dongguk Post would like to sort out the background to the rise in transportation costs and dive into the conflicting issues.
Let us find out the background of the increase in public transportation costs
Starting with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, public transportation fees have been raised in the Seoul metropolitan area. Last year, the government increased fares as a “last resort” because funding for maintaining public interest services on local urban subways was not included in the budget due to opposition from the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The Seoul Metropolitan Government can raise public transportation fees, such as for buses on its own, without the government’s consent. Incheon, Gyeonggi Province, and related agencies were consulted to ensure consistency in the case of subways connected to sections operated by KORAIL. However, KORAIL originally proposed a plan to raise 300 won by “increasing 150 won this year and increaseing 150 won next year” under the government’s control of price hikes, which seems to have been reflected in the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s plan to raise subway fares.
What are the opinions of citizens and students on raising public transportation costs
The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions’s (KCTU) Seoul headquarters, the Seoul Transportation Corporation union and civic groups strongly opposed the increase in public transportation costs, saying the government and the city should not pass public service fees on to citizens. They said, “If the decrease in number of users is a problem, the first thing to do is to suggest ways to revitalize it.” They also added, “The government and the Seoul Metropolitan Government should not avoid public responsibility,” saying that raising fares without taking countermeasures into consideration could reduce the number of people using public transportation.
Lee Hyo-won (Department of Political Science and Diplomacy 18) said, “I am very pityful about the increase in public transportation costs. In particular, as a student commuting from the metropolitan area, not Seoul, the increasement is hundreds of won at a time, but it accumulates and feels like a great burden. I have to commute more than an hour and a half away, so public transportation costs are really heavy. I can stil feel the higher public transportation costs than before, but I heard that it will be raised even more next year. For students who have no choice but to use public transportation while going to school, raising public transportation costs is a big burden.” However, there is other opinions, too. Song Min-jun (Department of Political Science and Diplomacy 22) said, “There are many interests involved in raising public transportation costs. I would like to talk mainly about subways. First of all, if you look at the ratio of public transportation costs to income, Korea is the smallest axis. The increase costs was also related to the quality of life of the people and the approval rating of politicians, so it was not easy to raise even though various prices were rising rapidly. Due to the low birthrate and aging population, the proportion of people who remain in office has decreased and the proportion of free people has increased rapidly, forcing public transportation operators to expand their deficits. As a countermeasure, the two main operators of the metropolitan subway sought to reduce the number of people put in by increasing management efficiency and unmanned. Raising public transportation costs is one of the easiest ways to solve these problems. The government can avoid discussions such as direct compensation for the deficit through free rides for elderly people and changing or abolishing the age of free rides for elderly people. For the safe operation of public transportation, keep in mind that only one train is directly connected to the safety of thousands of passengers. It is important to actively implement various measures, including raising the appropriate level of public transportation costs, to reduce deficits and provide opportunities for safe reinvestment.”
Let us take a look at Seoul’s standpoint on raising public transportation costs
Seoul is expressing its opinion that a fare increase is inevitable as the tolerable deficit of buses and subways has reached its limit. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, raising 300 won is expected to reduce the average transportation deficit by 316.2 billion won on the subway and 421.7 billion won on raising 400 won.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government is at odds with the government as well. The Ministry of Public Administration and Security asked the “local public utility rate stability management inspection meeting” to delay the timing of the rate hike and minimize the increase. The city held a “citizen’s hearing to discuss raising public transportation fees” the previous day. It stressed, “It is inevitable to raise fares as we are driven to the brink of a cliff after experiencing double, triple, and quadruple hardships due to long-term freezing.”
In response to the unexpected increase in public transportation costs, the government says the raise is an inevitable considering various financial and user conditions. On the other hand, citizens who often use public transportation are opposed to it because even a few hundred-won increase can become a significant expenditure and, therefore, an economic burden. Meanwhile, measures are being prepared to reduce the burden on citizens with low-cost transportation cards and transportation bill discount cards. At the center of this ongoing controversy, measures should be taken to reduce the economic burden on citizens as well as losses to local governments due to increased transportation costs.