Busan is good

Toward Busan as the City with the Most Convenient Public Transportation… Mayor Park Heong-joon Conducts On-site Inspection of Transit Innovation Achievements

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– Dongbaek Pass, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), and BIG BUS: Defining a New Era of Busan-style Transit –

Mayor Park Heong-joon visited the site today (April 17) to personally inspect the progress and achievements of Busan’s public transportation innovation initiatives—including the Dongbaek Pass, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, and the BIG BUS—and to explore directions for future development.

He boarded a BIG BUS operating on the BRT route using the Dongbaek Pass, observing the implementation status of the new interior and exterior designs, and also listening to on-site feedback regarding the city’s public transportation policies.
(Note: BIG BUS = Busan Is Good BUS)

Dongbaek Pass

The Dongbaek Pass, Korea’s first integrated public transportation discount system, was launched on August 1, 2023. Since its launch, the city has continued to expand user benefits through:

• ●the Prepaid Dongbaek Pass (introduced in March 2024),

• ●the Youth Dongbaek Pass (coming in July 2024), and

• ●its integration with the K-Pass (scheduled for August 2024).

As of March 2025, the number of subscribers has surged to approximately 670,000, up significantly from 400,000 in March of the previous year.

A satisfaction survey conducted in October 2024 with 19,721 citizens showed that 93% of respondents expressed satisfaction, indicating strong public support for the policy.

The mobile Dongbaek Pass service, set to launch in the second half of 2025, is expected to further enhance user convenience and satisfaction with public transportation.

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)

Busan’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system currently operates along four corridors totaling 30.3 kilometers, helping to establish a transit-oriented traffic system and significantly improving the pedestrian environment.

Following the BRT system’s implementation:

• ●the average bus speed increased by 6.6 km/h,

• ●ridership rose by 5.4%, and

• ●schedule reliability stabilized to within about 1 minute and 30 seconds.

A satisfaction survey conducted in September 2023 showed that over 60% of respondents rated the current BRT operation positively, and 64% supported either partial or full expansion of the system.

Based on these outcomes, the city plans to expand the BRT system by an additional 27.1 kilometers across three more corridors, bringing the total system to 57.4 kilometers across seven corridors.

BIG BUS – New City Bus Design

The city completed a full redesign of its bus fleet in 2024, for the first time in approximately nine years since the previous design was introduced in 2016. The new design was officially branded as “BIG BUS (Busan Is Good BUS).” By March 2025, 52 buses—including 40 regular buses and 12 express buses—had been equipped with the new design.

The BIG BUS design incorporates elements that reflect Busan’s urban image, visibility, aesthetics, and symbolism. Two color system variations were presented:

• ●Regular buses were designed to evoke themes of cleanliness, eco-friendliness, and smart technology.

• ●Express buses were designed to convey warmth, inclusiveness, and friendliness.

Alongside the exterior paintwork, the entire visual identity of the buses has been refreshed, including:

• ●bus numbers and route markings,

• ●interior route maps and attachments,

• ●and exterior advertisement guidelines.

Out of the city’s total fleet of 2,517 buses, 200 to 300 buses will be replaced annually with the BIG BUS design in a phased rollout.

Mayor’s Remarks

Mayor Park stated,

“Public transportation is the lifeline of our citizens and the first impression of Busan as a tourist and cultural city. Most importantly, those who use city buses must be able to travel comfortably, conveniently, and affordably.”

He added,

“We will actively reflect the results of this inspection and the voices of our citizens in our municipal policies. Going forward, we will continue to develop and implement citizen-friendly public transportation policies—such as Dongbaek Pass, BRT, and BIG BUS—to make Busan the city with the most convenient public transit system in the country.”