Will Jeonjangyeon’s Commuter Protests Decrease? Seoul to Increase Low-Floor Buses and Double Call Taxis for the Disabled

Ordinance to Guarantee the Right to Mobility for the Transportation Vulnerable to Take Effect Next Month
Expansion of Low-Floor Buses... Doubling the Number of Special Transportation Vehicles
Opinions of Transportation-Vulnerable Groups to Be Considered When Introducing New Modes of Transit
Will Jeonjangyeon Halt Protests?... Calls for Expansion of "Rights-Based Public Jobs"

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will double the number of call taxis for people with disabilities by 2030. As a measure to improve mobility for transportation-vulnerable groups, it will also pursue a plan to convert the entire city bus fleet to low-floor buses. These support measures were demanded by the National Solidarity for the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Jeonjangyeon), raising questions as to whether their subway boarding protests during commuting hours will decrease.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Council and other sources on the 29th, the previous day the Seoul Municipal Ordinance Rules Review Council passed the 'Ordinance on Guaranteeing the Right to Mobility for the Transportation Vulnerable in Seoul.' This comes about two weeks after it passed the city council's Transportation Committee earlier this month and the plenary session on the 11th, after which it was sent to the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

A street protest by the National Solidarity for the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (NPJ) on the morning commute in July. Photo by Yonhap News

The key point is to expand mobility convenience for transportation-vulnerable groups, including those with disabilities. When the ordinance was first proposed, the title was changed from 'Enhancement of Mobility Convenience for the Transportation Vulnerable' to 'Guarantee of the Right to Mobility.' Council officials explained that this represents a shift from merely supporting mobility to recognizing it as a right for transportation-vulnerable groups.

The ordinance also includes Jeonjangyeon's long-standing demands for the full introduction of low-floor buses in Seoul and the elimination of routes exempt from low-floor bus requirements. It specifies that the entire Seoul city bus fleet must use low-floor buses. As of the end of last year, low-floor buses accounted for 79.4% of all buses in Seoul. However, since some non-low-floor buses currently in operation have remaining legal operating lifespans, Seoul City plans to replace them sequentially after the minimum required period is completed.

The number of special transportation vehicles, such as call taxis for people with disabilities, will be secured to more than twice the legally required number by 2030. Seoul is continuously increasing its fleet of call taxis for people with disabilities to enhance mobility convenience. It is known that the city currently operates around 850 such taxis in total, including those run by corporations specializing in special taxis.

Additionally, any newly introduced modes of transportation in the future must include mandatory consideration of the opinions of transportation-vulnerable groups. This provision also applies to future forms of transportation and demand-responsive vehicles.

The ordinance is scheduled to be publicly announced and enforced on October 1. The city council expects that this will lead to a decrease in Jeonjangyeon's subway boarding protests during commuting hours. Jeonjangyeon suspended its protests in August after the council promised to prepare this ordinance.

However, some analysts believe that Jeonjangyeon will not completely stop its protests just because of this ordinance. Jeonjangyeon is also demanding an expansion of "rights-based public jobs." These are programs that allow people with severe disabilities to engage in advocacy, awareness improvement, and cultural and artistic activities. Rights-based public jobs were introduced in July 2020 during the tenure of former Seoul Mayor Park Wonsoon.

However, an operational review conducted by the city in March 2023 found that 50.4% of participant activities over the past three years (8,691 out of 17,228 cases) were concentrated on rallies, protests, and campaigns. In response, Mayor Oh Sehoon terminated the program and, beginning in 2024, transitioned it into customized specialized jobs tailored to different types of disabilities.

The previous day, Jeonjangyeon resumed surprise morning protests, demanding the implementation of the relevant ordinance. They are also calling for the 2027 budget for related programs and the restoration of the original jobs for 400 people.

Low-floor bus boarding scene of a person with a disability. The Asia Business Daily

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.