Ridership on the Hangang Bus surged sharply during South Korea's early-May "golden holiday" as crowds flocked to the Hangang River, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said.
A total of 23,443 passengers boarded the Hangang Bus from May 1 to 5, the city said Tuesday. That translates to a daily average of 4,689 passengers, roughly 84% higher than April's daily average of about 2,550.
Ridership on May 1 reached 5,584, setting a new single-day record since the Hangang Bus began operations. With 5,237 passengers on May 2 and 5,423 on May 5, daily ridership stayed around 5,000 throughout the holiday. The city said spring demand for Hangang River outings is translating into Hangang Bus usage.
The upward trend has been clear since full-route service resumed. Ridership reached 62,491 in March and 76,488 in April. With more than 23,000 additional passengers during the recent holiday, cumulative ridership since March has surpassed 162,422. Since the official launch in September last year, total cumulative ridership has reached 267,357.
"With the warm spring weather combined with festivals held across the city, such as the Seoul International Garden Expo at Seoul Forest and the Seoul Spring Festival at Yeouido Park, the Hangang Bus is establishing itself as a new means of transportation for enjoying the Hangang River," a Seoul city official said.
The city is also accelerating improvements to passenger convenience. Additional observation rest areas have been built around the Mangwon and Ttukseom piers. Six piers adjacent to the Hangang River — Yeouido, Ttukseom, Jamsil, Apgujeong, Oksu and Magok — will be designated as "waterfront hub zones" this month, with plans to install amenities including river-view gardens, pergolas and bar tables. Along the Ttukseom pier-to-Seoul Forest section linked to the Seoul International Garden Expo, the construction of flower gardens and river-view gardens has been completed.
"Through the sight of many citizens using the Hangang Bus and enjoying the Hangang River during the May holiday, we confirmed its potential as a leisure-oriented means of transportation," said Park Jin-young, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Future Hangang Headquarters. "We will continue to enhance convenience and service quality so that citizens can use the Hangang Bus conveniently and safely."
