[On the Scene] "Transfer Hassles vs. 10-Minute Savings"... Gwangju Bus Overhaul Draws Mixed Reactions

"Routes Split, Transfers Unavoidable" vs. "New and Extended Routes Praised"
Confusion Continues as Some Older Passengers and Visitors Struggle to Find Their Routes
Bus Information Displays Still Say "Being Updated"

"Where on earth am I supposed to catch the bus to Hwasun? They changed all the numbers, and the information board is covered up. I can't see a thing."

At around 8 a.m. on Nov. 3, the fourth day since the Gwangju-area city bus routes were completely revamped for the first time in nine years, at the city bus stop at U-Square Gwangcheon Terminal in Seo-gu, Gwangju.

On the fourth day after the complete overhaul of bus routes in the Gwangju area for the first time in nine years, citizens board and alight from buses at the bus stop outside U Square Gwangcheon Terminal in Seo-gu, Gwangju, at around 8 a.m. on the 3rd. Photo by Min Changi

The atmosphere had eased somewhat compared with the severe chaos the previous day, the first weekday after the revamp. Still, deep sighs and groans could be heard at bus stops as visitors from outside the area and passengers on their way to work struggled to find their buses.

Visitors who had just arrived in Gwangju from other regions by express bus, as well as older passengers, were particularly flustered by the completely overhauled route system. Passengers pressed close to the densely packed timetables and route maps on the walls of the bus stops, tracing their destinations with their fingers as they anxiously waited.

The on-site visual information infrastructure remained inadequate. Some bus information terminals (BITs), whose electronic displays are supposed to show expected arrival times in real time, were covered with paper bearing the message, "Routes are being updated. We ask for your understanding."

An elderly passenger headed for Hwasun wandered around for a long time in front of the now-discontinued route numbers. With help from nearby citizens and an on-site guide, the passenger eventually managed to board a replacement bus.

Office workers on their way to work also voiced frustration at being forced to transfer after single routes were split. Oh, a 32-year-old office worker who commutes to the Sangmu District, said, "Routes I used to take directly, such as Circular Route 01, were split up, adding transfer wait times. I almost arrived late for work." He complained about the inconvenience.

Meanwhile, some welcomed the revamp, saying they could feel the benefits of straighter routes and connections to new residential districts.

Lee, a 39-year-old office worker who commutes to the Sangmu District every day, said, "Buses used to take frustrating detours through neighborhood alleys, but straightening the winding sections has cut my travel time by more than 10 minutes compared with usual. The route numbers are unfamiliar, but I think the system will be much more efficient in the long run."

Residents of new urban districts such as Hyocheon, Seonun and Cheomdan District 3, which had long been considered underserved by public transportation, have also responded favorably. The revamp has noticeably improved commuting conditions by adding or extending a total of 46.2 kilometers of routes in 19 areas with poor transportation access.

According to the South Jeolla-Gwangju Integrated Special City, the number of routes increased by 12, from 103 to 115, and the total number of daily trips rose by 535 after the routes were streamlined, while the total number of buses in operation remained unchanged at 1,000.

However, nearly 900 calls reporting inconveniences have been received over the three days since the revamp, due to confusion caused by the removal of regional names from the route numbers and delays in updating data on smartphone transit apps.

The integrated city has deployed guides at around 200 major bus stops and is operating a "Route Revamp Situation Room" on an emergency basis through Nov. 6.

An integrated city official said, "While straightening routes and stopping at key hubs have reduced travel times, we have also identified inadequate information facilities at bus stops and some difficulties with transfers. We will carefully analyze transit card big data and complaints to immediately correct errors on electronic displays, and quickly make minor adjustments to routes where transfer-related inconvenience is particularly severe."

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