Seoul Public Transportation: One of the Best in the World
Seoul Public Transportation: One of the Best in the World
  • Natasha Willhite
  • 승인 2010.12.08 17:26
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Natasha Willhite, IT Times Reporter

The frustration of driving through a congested city is endured by many people throughout the world. However, the public transportation in and out of Seoul lightens as the experience is so utterly convenient. Unlike most public transportation, it is even 'foreigner friendly' towards visitors or workers from other countries whom lack the basic Korean language skills to navigate themselves. Public transportation takes South Korean technology and combines it with simplicity and convenience which keeps a large amount of people opting out of driving a car.

Seoul's most popular modes of public transportation consist of the subway and bus system, which were designed to overlap one another at stops. The possibilities are endless, providing people the opportunity and convenience of exiting the subway station almost immediately leading to several different buses leading to various areas. For those who are not familiar with the public transportation system, one can't get too turned around or lost if they get out at the wrong stop, it's easy enough to redirect yourself with the numerous options of transportation available. Many bus stops are located right next to subway lines, so anyone that happens to get lost can walk down to the subway and catch the train.

Both the subway and the buses are equipped with announcing systems that speak up to three languages, most typically English, Chinese, and Japanese. Although Chinese and Japanese are not always offered, the maps showing locations in Korean and English prove to be helpful. The subway is able to display scrolling information on monitors above the passengers for those who are not near the provided maps or need additional guidance. Sometimes the subway is filled with so many people, that viewing the maps offered is near to impossible, so the monitors act as a back-up. Just like the bus system, the subway announces the stops with information such as transfers and attractions at particular destinations.

The subway consists of several lines represented by color and number. For those who are not able to communicate with anyone and get directions, the simplicity of looking at a color or number and matching it to the train is the best way to navigate yourself. Using colors and numbers cuts back on moments of confusion even for those who do not speak any of the languages the subway line offers. Overall, it is obvious that the public transportation sector understands the difficulties many people could experience and reduces the number by offering these simple and clear options for navigation.

The public transportation system provides buses that are color coded to illustrate distance: blue, green, red, and yellow. Each color represents the type of route it follows. Blue buses typically follow the main line from downtown Seoul to the satellite cities surrounding it. The Red buses act just as the Blue buses, but follow a wider course rather than just the main line. Conveniently, the Green buses are routed along metro stations, other bus lines as well as some residential areas. For extra ease for those traveling downtown and the metropolitan area, the Yellow buses serve specifically for this.

Most notably, bus stops in the Seoul area typically provide a monitor that displays the bus routes and the approximate times in which it will arrive. Overall, this simple technology should be expected. This is a way for people to accurately determine when they will be at a specified location, keeping wait time and frustrations to a minimum.

To use the public transportation system, people have the option of using cash or T-Money card which can be refilled at many subway stations as well as convenience stores. The T-Cash card effectively cuts down the time at stops or transfers; however, the public transportation sector recognizes that for some it is easier to use cash, so this option is available for those. These are services in which Seoul city public transportation makes convenience a top priority.

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