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

The Seoul metropolitan government announced on Monday plans to launch up to 1,500 free shuttle buses this week in the event that unionized workers of the capital's intracity buses proceed with their scheduled strike. Unionized city bus workers cast a vote on Friday to strike beginning Wednesday should they be unable to reach an agreement with management, prompting worries about extensive traffic disruptions and delays.

As part of contingency plans in anticipation of the potential strike, the city government stated it would operate approximately 200 free shuttle buses between city wards, with another 1,300 serving to link key city hubs and residential areas to subway stations. This represents a rise from around 700 free shuttle buses that were operated during the previous strike in January.

The city also intends to extend subway morning rush-hour operations by two hours, making them run from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., while also extending late-night operations so that the last train runs until 2 a.m. Furthermore, it plans to provide the city's public bike service, Ttareungi, free of charge during the strike period. Unionized bus workers and bus operators have been embroiled in a dispute over the cancellation of a subway shuttle bus service, which they claim has led to job losses and reduced services.