The article discusses the issues surrounding the Gimpo Gold Line, a light rail system in Seoul, South Korea that has been known for its severe congestion. While various methods have been proposed to alleviate the problem, such as attaching additional cars to the train or displaying a video of the congestion level, they have proven to be difficult to implement or not effective enough. The most urgent task is seen as expanding the bus routes, but there are challenges in securing dedicated lanes for buses and increasing the number of buses. The article also highlights the limitations and problems with exclusive bus lanes and suggests the need for further improvements to resolve issues with efficiency and punctuality. Despite the challenges, authorities are continuing to explore solutions to improve the Gimpo Gold Line and provide a better transportation experience for citizens.
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[서울=뉴스핌] Correspondent Kang Myeong-yeon = An accident with breathing difficulties occurred at the Gimpo Gold Line, which has been stigmatized as ‘hell-cheol’, and ideas for relieving congestion are pouring in.
In order to overcome the limitation of running two cars at a time, methods such as attaching one additional car at each end of the train or displaying a video showing the degree of congestion to encourage citizens to voluntarily use alternative means have been discussed, but the problem is that it is not easy to realize. all. As it will take at least 10 years for the extension of Line 5 and the opening of the GTX line D, expanding bus routes is considered the most urgent task.
Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong talks with citizens at the Gimpo Gold Line on the 14th. [사진=국토교통부]
◆ “Transportation citizen idea attached to both ends of the train”… CEO of Gold Line, “It’s difficult to apply”
At the Gimpo Gold Line congestion relief meeting held on the 16th at the Gimpo Airport International Terminal in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, Park Dae-dal, chairman of the People’s Power Policy Committee, proposed a plan to run trains attached to both ends of the light rail.
Chairman Park said, “Since the train aisle is wide, there is an idea from citizens that it is not possible to attach trains to both sides and go inside.” said. Gimpo Gold Line operates 21 out of 23 trains, and the remaining 2 trains are not running for reasons such as maintenance or emergencies.
The Gimpo Gold Line, which is operated by two cars, has a platform built according to the scale, so the capacity per train is only 300 people. In order to solve this problem, the proposal is to attach one train at each end of the two-car train so that passengers can get on and off through the train passage through which they can enter the platform.
However, Gimpo Gold Line explains that it is technically almost impossible. Jeong Seon-in, CEO of Gimpo Gold Line, met with reporters on the day and said, “Because it is a two-car vehicle, it is impossible to attach vehicles to the front and back.” “he said.
CEO Jeong suggested a way to display the congestion level with a video. He said, “If you show the congestion situation at the platform in advance, passengers can choose whether to board the train or find an alternative method before stamping their card at the gate.” We are trying to introduce, but it is said to be in violation of the Personal Information Protection Act, so we have put up a related review.”
He added, “I hope that it will pass as much as the video is shown for public interest, and if it is installed outside the station as well as inside the station, citizens can choose.”
[서울=뉴스핌] Reporter Baek In-hyeok = Seoul city bus [email protected]
◆ Slow introduction of bus-only lanes in Seoul section… Necessity to increase bus number
However, it is pointed out as a problem that these ideas are limited in realization or have limited effects. In the end, until the extension of Line 5 and the opening of GTX-D, the key is to distribute users to buses that will replace the Gimpo Gold Line, but discussions are still slow.
First of all, there are no dedicated bus lanes between Gaehwa Station and Gimpo Airport, resulting in extreme congestion. Previously, the Metropolitan Transportation Committee of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced traffic improvement measures such as Gimpo Han River New Town in June 2021 and said that it would additionally review the introduction of bus-only lanes in the section, but there is no proper consultation yet.
Previously, it was decided to complete the installation in 2021 from Gochon to Gaehwa Station, a section of Gimpo City, and to verify the effect, and discuss whether to introduce it to the section between Gaehwa Station and Gimpo Airport. An official from the Daekwang Committee said, “Gimpo City finished monitoring the bus lanes in February, and we understand that there is information that it is effective.” However, some critics say that Gimpo City’s exclusive bus lanes also have problems. It is pointed out that the problem of low efficiency, such as the fact that exclusive lanes are installed as median lanes while bus stops are installed on the roadsides, must be resolved.
If exclusive lanes are secured, punctuality is expected to be resolved to some extent. Gimpo Mayor Kim Byung-soo said, “You should be able to arrive at Gimpo Airport at the same time as the train,” and added, “If we install exclusive lanes in the Seoul section, we believe that 30% of the passengers’ congestion rate will be alleviated.”
However, the number of buses also needs to be increased. Currently, Gimpo intra-city bus No. 70, which runs between Gimpo and Gimpo Airport as a shuttle bus, operates 15 times at 15-minute intervals. On the 12th, in cooperation with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, an agreement was reached to increase the number of trains to 8, reducing the service interval to 5 minutes. An official from the Daekwang Committee said, “In addition to number 70, we expect that more than 1,000 people will be able to move over to the bus demand by increasing the number of buses, such as reviving bus number 2 and the previously discontinued line number 11.”
In conclusion, the Gimpo Gold Line has been facing severe congestion issues, and ideas for relieving congestion have been discussed. However, most of these ideas have limited realization, and expanding bus routes is considered the most urgent task. Despite the slow introduction of bus-only lanes and the need to increase the number of buses, there are still barriers and challenges that need to be overcome. Nevertheless, it is essential to find a solution for the congested Gimpo Gold Line to ensure smooth transportation for citizens.
