KOTI - Korea Transport institute

Urban transport investment has been centered on efficiency and operated for development and the support of economic activity. Efficiency-driven management has limitations in promoting transport services for public welfare and social integration. This study typified economic and social vulnerable users of the transportation sector by income, health and residential area (blind transport service areas) and analyzed whether the previous public transport policies had unequal elements in classes.
First, the analysis of low-income groups and public transport accessibility distribution in Seoul and metropolitan new towns showed that those with low-income and vulnerable lived in the outskirts of the city and have low accessibility to public transportation compared to those living in the central areas. This is probably due to the fact that public transport infrastructure investment and routes have been concentrated in the central area of the city, rather than the urban suburbs, due to efficiency-oriented provision and operation of public transportation infrastructure. Also, there is a variation in the level of public transportation services according to the residential location in the same city. and the service gap between the center and suburb areas may become large, so that requires consideration in terms of public transportation planning and operation policies. In this study, we propose the establishment of investment finance and business systems to ensure the equality of public transportation services and monitoring and evaluation systems for variations in public transportation service levels by residential area. In addition, we suggest that a deliberate process of the reduction or abolition of services is needed
Second, the metro free-ride system for the elderly has issues regarding sustainability due to the increase in the number of beneficiaries due to the aging of the elderly. In this study, the analysis of the mode share of the elderly and free-ride record of the metro is conducted based on household survey data and public transport data in Daejeon metropolitan city. The analysis shows that the elderly who live in areas where the metro system does not pass through find it difficult to utilize the benefits of the free-ride system. Therefore, if the accessibility of the metro is not secured throughout the city, certain regions may result in non-institutional benefits. In order to compensate for the inequalities caused by the limitation of the transport system, it is necessary to consider expanding the free-ride system to other modes such as buses.
Third, the Moon Jae-in government is considering the expansion of Taxi DRT (Demand responsive transport) services, called '100-won-Taxi', to improve the convencience and welfare of rural residents. In rural areas, the size of households and road conditions are different in each village, so there are wide range of interests with existing passenger car operators. It is necessary to investigate if villages that are smaller in size have difficulty with the introduction of DRT services. In this study, a field survey was conducted in four counties in Jeollabuk-do (Provincial area) to find out about the introdcution of DRT and its operation status in transport-vulnerable areas. According to the results of the survey, rural areas have a different distribution of households and demands. Therefore, when expanding DRT services nationwide, it is necessary to consider various conditions of villages to satisfy residents. Finally, the establishment of a flexible framework of institutions, post-evaluation systems, and the application of private technology to enhance operational efficiency and service improvements.