○ A new concept of transportation, ‘Tok Bus’… Service begins on the 30th in Gamil and Wirye, Hanam
– Operates from Gamil/Wirye-dong to nearby subway stations (Seoul)
– Expected to improve transportation convenience for residents by introducing a driving method suitable for local traffic conditions
– Official operation begins on September 9.6 (Wednesday) after trial operation
– Plan to expand and introduce direct buses to Anseong, Icheon, etc. in the second half of the year
The 'Tok Bus', a new concept of transportation that allows you to board the bus at the desired location and travel to the desired destination at the desired time, will begin operation in Gamil and Wirye, Hanam.
Gyeonggi Province and Gyeonggi Transportation Corporation announced on the 30th that they will begin trial operation of Tokbus in Gamil and Wirye districts from the 9th, and then begin official operation on September 6th. The vehicles are 29-seat Hyundai Solati vehicles, and a total of six vehicles, three in the Gamil district and three in the Wirye district, operate every day from 13:3 a.m. to 3:6.
‘Tok Bus’ is the unique brand of Gyeonggi-do’s Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) system and means ‘bus that moves smartly.’
Tokbus is a means of public transportation that flexibly transports passengers in response to their calls in transportation-vulnerable areas such as new cities or rural areas. It has the advantage of being able to provide transportation services suited to local traffic conditions by operating differently depending on the region. .
Hanam Tokbus operates in areas including the Gamil and Wirye areas and nearby Seoul subway stations. In Gamil District, it runs to Olympic Park Station, Geoyeo Station, Macheon Station, and Macheon Market, and in Wirye District, it runs to Jangji Station, Bokjeong Station, Geoyeo Station, and Macheon Station. Passengers can take the Tokbus to travel within the Gamil and Wirye areas or to nearby Seoul subway stations, so demand for use is expected to be high, especially during rush hour and work hours.
It is possible to call and pay for a Ttok bus using the 'Tokta' app, an integrated transportation platform operated by Gyeonggi Transportation Corporation. When a passenger enters the starting point and destination he or she wants to go to in the app, the boarding point, Boarding and disembarkation times are provided in real time.
Passengers can board the bus at the informed boarding point and expected boarding time. When passengers with similar routes make reservations at the same time, a detour route is automatically created and the passengers ride together. The usage fee is 1 won, and a metropolitan integrated transfer discount is also applied when using a transportation card.
According to the province's plan to expand the introduction of tok buses, 3 new buses have been operated in 7 cities and counties since March of this year, and the total cumulative number of users is about 78.
Following Hanam, the province plans to sequentially introduce direct buses to Anseong, Paju, and Icheon areas this year. In particular, Paju Unjeong is an area that has implemented a pilot project for tok buses starting in December 2021, and plans to operate 5 more buses as demand increases.
Eom-man Eom, head of the Gyeonggi Province Metropolitan Transportation Policy Division, said, “Residents in the Gamil and Wirye areas will be able to receive better transportation services through the operation of the Hanam Tok Bus.” He added, “Tok, a customized transportation service, will be provided for residents who are experiencing inconveniences due to a lack of public transportation.” “We plan to continuously expand bus operations in the province,” he said.
Min Kyeong-seon, CEO of Gyeonggi Transportation Corporation, said, “Tokbus is attracting attention as a new means of transportation to relieve citizens’ transportation inconveniences, and in particular, Hanam Tokbus is expected to greatly improve mobility and accessibility to Seoul by connecting Geoyeo and Macheon stations. “I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “We will also try to expand the Tokbus wired calling method after pilot operation for seniors who have difficulty using the existing smartphone app calling method.”