Seoul city to operate up to 1,500 free shuttle buses amid looming bus strike

Seoul, South Korea, is preparing to launch up to 1,500 free shuttle buses if its unionized intracity bus workers proceed with a planned strike starting Wednesday. The potential strike, which could disrupt traffic and cause delays, has raised concerns among residents. As a precaution, the city government has announced plans to operate around 200 free shuttle buses between various city wards, and an additional 1,300 will connect key areas to subway stations.

This represents a significant increase from the 700 free shuttle buses that were deployed during the previous strike in January.

In addition to the shuttle buses, the city intends to extend subway morning rush-hour operations by two hours, with trains running from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. The late-night subway service will also be extended, with the last train operating until 2 a.m. To further assist commuters during the strike, the city will also make its public bike service, Ttareungi, available free of charge during the strike period.

The dispute between unionized bus workers and bus operators centers on the calculation of ordinary wages. The union has requested that wages be calculated based on 176 work hours and that hourly wages be increased by 7.85 percent. However, bus operators have rejected these demands, leading to the current standoff.