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Busan Metropolitan City to Launch New Village Bus Route in Eco Delta City

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Busan Metropolitan City, led by Mayor Chun Jae-soo, announced plans to establish a new village bus route through an open call in order to swiftly respond to rapidly growing public transportation demand in Eco Delta City, Gangseo-gu, as well as residents’ requests for expanded services.

More than 100 requests for expanded public transportation services in Eco Delta City were submitted during the month of June to the “Busan on the Move Again Committee,” which was operated to identify urgent issues affecting residents before Mayor Chun Jae-soo took office, underscoring the need for a prompt solution.

Accordingly, on September 30, Busan Metropolitan City will issue a “Notice of Selection for an Operator of the Eco Delta City Village Bus Route and Integrated Management System Agreement.” A total of four buses, including a reserve vehicle, will be deployed on one village bus route. The route will serve Eco Delta City and Gangseo-gu Office, significantly improving transfer convenience to Busan Metro Line 3 and the Busan-Gimhae Light Rail Transit.

The new route will increase the number of village buses in Gangseo-gu, where the total fleet size is currently capped, through an open call and provide financial support for transportation operating losses. This will mark the first increase in the fleet in 17 years, with four additional buses being introduced since 2010.

The Gangseo area, where Eco Delta City is located, has operated a village bus integrated management system since 2010. Under an agreement, Busan Metropolitan City and Gangseo-gu have capped the number of village buses operating in the area at 64 and provided financial support to operators for losses incurred from transporting passengers in areas underserved by public transportation.

The operator ultimately selected through the open call will receive financial support for transportation operating losses through an amendment to the integrated management system agreement. The route will operate on a temporary basis in response to changes in transportation conditions in Eco Delta City.

In particular, this service expansion represents a new approach in which village buses that have been out of service for an extended period are relocated to areas in need of public transportation, enabling Busan Metropolitan City to make strategic use of its limited public transportation resources and rationally adjust services in line with demand.

Eligibility for the open call will therefore be limited to operators of village bus routes within Busan that have remained out of service for an extended period due to redevelopment in their previous service areas or changes in transportation conditions.

By excluding buses that are currently operating normally, the initiative is designed to prevent inconvenience to existing passengers while efficiently reallocating idle public transportation resources across the city.

Hwang Hyun-cheol, Director General of the Transportation Bureau of Busan Metropolitan City, said, “This open-call project for the Eco Delta City village bus route is a new initiative aimed at responding flexibly to transportation demand across the city within Busan Metropolitan City’s limited resources.”

He added, “We will continue to do our utmost to minimize inconvenience for Eco Delta City residents using public transportation and provide an even more convenient transportation environment.”