Monthly ridership of the Han River Bus, Seoul's water-based public transport service, surpassed 90,000 for the first time, with the city saying the service is rapidly establishing itself as both a new mode of transportation and a leisure offering.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Monday that the Han River Bus carried 91,126 passengers in May, a record monthly high. The figure reflects a full-fledged expansion in demand following the resumption of service across all routes, according to the city.
Monthly ridership reached 62,491 in March and 76,488 in April, increasing by about 15,000 passengers each month since service resumed across all routes in early March. The daily average also climbed nearly 50%, from around 2,000 in March to approximately 2,900 in May.
Demand was particularly concentrated on weekends and holidays. In May, daily ridership exceeded 5,000 on seven days, peaking at 5,584 on May 1, the highest single-day figure to date.
Cumulative ridership has also grown rapidly. From the official launch of service last September through February this year, 104,498 passengers used the Han River Bus. An additional 230,105 boarded over the three months from March to May after full-route service resumed, bringing the cumulative total to over 334,603.
Satisfaction levels were also high. In a survey of 3,115 users conducted in April, about 96% said they were satisfied, while 94% said they would recommend the service to others and 89% said they intended to use it again.
The city is also pushing to expand routes. Operational training is currently underway for service at the Seoul Forest pier in connection with the Seoul International Garden Show, with regular operations slated to begin in the first week of this month.
"The Han River Bus is rapidly establishing itself as a new mode of water transport amid strong public response," said Park Jin-young, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Future Hangang Headquarters. "We will continue to enhance service quality and develop it into a leading means of transportation."
