Seoul Bus app revolutionizes bus transport

By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Roufida Abouelwaqa 

Have you ever missed a really empty bus and found yourself standing in a bus with no space, not even for your feet?

On May 22, Seoul launched its newest, revolutionary transportation service putting up an end to such situations. It's an online alert service that lets passengers know whether or not the next bus is crowded or empty. It also lets them know if there are any empty seats on the bus before it arrives.

This service depends on a bus information system that gathers information from fare card machines. It works really easily, as it categorizes buses into three categories.

Blue buses travel along major roads and run for relatively long distances across Seoul. (Korea Tourism Organization)

First, Relaxed. When this kind of bus has a free seat available, it will appear in green. Second, Normal. When this kind of bus has some free space to stand or to hold the strap, it will appear in yellow. Third, Busy. When this kind of bus is crowded or jam-packed, it will appear in red.

Buses that operate inside Seoul -- the blue and green buses -- will be the first to use this new service. Hopefully, it will soon be applied to the red and express buses that travel from Seoul to its satellite cities.

Promoting the efficient management of the city's public transportation system, the Seoul Metropolitan Government expects this project to ensure punctuality and to provide a much smoother commuting experience. 

wisdom117@korea.kr

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