JEONNAM-GWANGJU — Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City said on the 27th that it will carry out a full overhaul of bus routes in the Gwangju area starting on the 31st, the first such revision in nine years.
The number of routes will rise to 115 from 103, an increase of 12, while daily service will expand by 535 trips. The city said it achieved the gains without adding buses, instead reorganizing long-distance and overlapping routes to improve operating efficiency.
Routes linking major hubs such as universities and bus terminals will be straightened, and express service will be introduced on six routes. The city will add 46.2 kilometers of service across 19 underserved areas, including Sinyong and Yongdu-dong and the Cheomdan 3 district. Metropolitan and express routes toward the Naju innovation city and Hwasun will increase to three from one.
Revised routes can be checked on the Gwangju Bus Information System as well as on Naver Map and Kakao Map. The city plans to operate a situation room from the 31st through Nov. 6 to monitor complaints from residents.
"We will minimize inconvenience to residents in the early stage and continue to address shortcomings by reflecting actual ridership demand and feedback from the field," said Kim Young-sun, head of the city's integrated transportation bureau.