Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon expressed confidence in the swift transition to profitability of the “Han River Bus,” one of his key projects. During the National Assembly’s Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee audit held at Seoul City Hall, Mayor Oh addressed continued criticism from Democratic Party member Jeon Yong-gi regarding the Han River Bus project. Oh stated, “Enjoying and experiencing the Han River is largely concentrated among those residing near the river.” He emphasized, “My intention was for all Seoul citizens, not just those living near the Han River, to enjoy it up close.”
He further noted, “I thought it was necessary to provide equal opportunities for residents from the northern and southwestern regions to enjoy the Han River at a low cost.” He asserted, “I cannot agree with associating this with my personal interests.”
Regarding the profitability of the Han River Bus project, Mayor Oh shared his confidence, stating, “In just nine days of operation, 27,000 people have used the service. This exceeds our initial estimates.” He predicted, “The Han River Bus will continue to have high usage rates.”
Additionally, he mentioned that while operational revenue is minimal, earnings from terminal facilities and advertising revenue contribute significantly to profits. He expressed confidence that the project is not one that will incur losses, and instead, it will turn profitable much faster than initially expected.
Furthermore, he commented, “When initial issues arose with the operation, such as steering problems, the city of Seoul could agree to temporarily halt the operations for one month with a calm mindset.”
On another note, due to frequent mechanical issues causing inconvenience to passengers, Seoul City transitioned the Han River Bus operation to a “no-passenger pilot operation” starting from September 29 for one month. During this period, the bus operates according to its regular schedule without passengers. Collected data will be used to improve the operation quality.