The Seoul city government is moving to overhaul weekend and holiday fares for the Hangang Bus, its river ferry service. The service was originally billed as water-borne public transit for commuters, but with about half of all riders boarding on weekends, it has effectively become a tourist attraction. With demand concentrated on weekends and holidays, the city plans to charge prices befitting a tourism product and improve the service's financial viability.
Seoul said on the 29th, at a public hearing on the fare overhaul held at an annex of its Seosomun office building, that weekend and holiday fares would rise to 6,000 won for adults, 3,600 won for teenagers aged 13 to 18 and 2,200 won for children aged 6 to 12. Current fares are 3,000 won, 1,800 won and 1,100 won, respectively.
The city will compile the views raised at the hearing, then seek the city council's opinion and approval in November and build the necessary systems, with the new fares to take effect in April next year.
Seoul is also pursuing a 2,000-won surcharge for passengers who use its reservation system. The surcharge will be introduced on a trial basis in October, and the city will review full adoption after assessing the results.
The increases are based on the findings of an academic study commissioned from the Seoul Institute. In a survey of 2,107 passengers disembarking at the Yeouido and Jamsil piers, the institute found a median willingness to pay of 8,248 won. The city also factored in the Airport Railroad fare, at up to 5,350 won the highest among ordinary public transit options in the greater Seoul area, in setting the new levels.
Since its launch in September last year, the Hangang Bus has operated under a flat-fare system, charging every passenger the same amount regardless of the time of day or type of service.
But leisure and sightseeing riders have crowded onto weekends and holidays, and passengers have faced inconvenience from first-come, first-served boarding and longer waits. As of June, average daily ridership was 4,467 on weekends, more than double the 2,151 recorded on weekdays, according to the city. Nine additional safety staff are being deployed each day on weekends, and the city says it has received complaints about boarding delays.
Park Jin-young, head of the Future Hangang Headquarters, said the flat-fare system needs to be reviewed in order to improve service quality and run the Hangang Bus on a stable footing. "Today's hearing will be a valuable opportunity to hear your views," Park said.
