[Anchor]
As self-service gas stations become more common, getting out of the car to operate the fuel pump and complete payments has become another barrier for people with disabilities with limited mobility. In Cheonan, self-service gas stations have been transformed into "Hope Gas Stations," where staff step in to pump gas upon request, receiving a warm response.
TJB reporter Lee Sun-hak has the report.
[Reporter]
For people with physical disabilities, private cars are an essential means of transportation for social activities.
However, they face major difficulties every time they need to refuel.
With the recent sharp increase in self-service gas stations, drivers must get out of their vehicles to operate fuel pumps and terminals, which takes a long time and requires significant physical effort.
[Lee Nam-ho / Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province: For people like us with mobility impairments, we had to get out of the car ourselves to pump gas, which caused a lot of inconveniences.]
In fact, out of 157 gas stations in the Cheonan area, 115 are self-service, accounting for 73% of the total.
To ease these hardships, the city of Cheonan launched the "Hope Gas Station" service through public-private cooperation.
Drivers can use their smartphones to scan a QR code attached to the fuel pump without getting out of their car, immediately connecting them with gas station staff to receive assistance with refueling and payment.
Nearly half of the 115 self-service gas stations in the Cheonan area—52 stations—joined the initiative without any separate financial compensation.
[Oh Yong-joo / Representative, Cheonan Samsung Daero Gas Station: Even normally, if people with disabilities asked for help, it was something we already did, so I joined without any burden.]
The city of Cheonan presented designation certificates and information signs to participating gas stations and established the QR system.
Moving forward, the city plans to monitor operations and expand the number of participating gas stations.
[Chang Ki-soo / Mayor of Cheonan: We are launching a refueling assistance service where staff help out when people with disabilities request it. Through this, we will make Cheonan a city where the mobility rights and daily lives of people with disabilities are more convenient.]
Cheonan plans to expand Hope Gas Stations to guarantee mobility rights for people with disabilities and discover various support measures to further protect those rights.
(Video by Sung Nak-jung / TJB)
TJB Lee Sun-hak
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