Seoul Council to Vote This Afternoon on Ordinance for Free Bus Rides for Seniors Aged 70 and Older

An ordinance bill that serves as the legal foundation for the Seoul Metropolitan Government's plan to introduce free bus rides for seniors aged 70 and older will be presented to the city council today (June 24).

If the ordinance passes, it will lay the groundwork for a public transportation overhaul that raises the free subway ride age from the current 65 to 70 while also making bus rides free. The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to determine the implementation date after reaching a social consensus and securing the necessary budget.

The Seoul Metropolitan Council will vote on the passage of the "Seoul Senior Transportation Cost Support Ordinance," proposed by City Councilor Lee Byung-yoon (People Power Party, Dongdaemun 1), who chairs the council's Transportation Committee, during a plenary session this afternoon.

The ordinance stipulates that the city can subsidize all or part of city or neighborhood bus fares within its budget for Seoul residents aged 70 and older who meet the criteria set by the Seoul mayor.

The city is pushing to raise the minimum age for free subway rides from 65 to 70, while also offering free bus rides up to 14 times a month for those aged 70 and older, with this ordinance serving as the legal basis.

However, the provision to raise the free subway ride age to 70 is not included in this particular ordinance, meaning the city must review whether it can be implemented under current laws and regulations.

The city council's secretariat estimated that introducing free bus rides would cost over 100 billion won annually, totaling approximately 578.86 billion won over the next five years.

However, this estimate is based on completely free rides without any limit on the number of trips. If the city limits the subsidy to 14 rides per month as currently considered, the required budget is expected to be relatively lower.

In addition, raising the age for free subway rides would save budget, helping to partially offset the costs incurred by the free bus ride program.

Specific details of the support plan, including the limit on the number of rides, will be administratively decided by the Seoul Metropolitan Government once the ordinance is passed.

The plan to adjust public transportation free-ride benefits is a key policy being pushed by Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, and senior organizations have also shown a favorable stance, making its actual implementation highly likely.

Mayor Oh pledged during the June 3 local elections to allow citizens aged 70 and older to use buses for free. Following his election, he met with the head of the Seoul Federation of the Korean Senior Citizens Association on June 19 to discuss transportation welfare policies.

The senior association recently sent an official letter to the city proposing a "public hearing on senior public transportation policy," stating, "We welcome the proposal to exempt bus fares for seniors aged 70 and older (less than 15 times per month) and request its prompt implementation."

The association also aligned with the city's policy direction, adding, "Considering fiscal capacity and sustainability, we propose adjusting the free subway ride age upward in tandem."

Discussions on raising the free subway ride age are a result of population aging and the increasing economic activity participation rate among the elderly population.

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare's 2023 Survey on Senior Citizens, the subjective age at which people consider someone to be "elderly" was 71.6, surpassing 70. Additionally, the economic activity participation rate for those aged 65 and older rose from 29.5% in 2000 to 40.7% last year.

In contrast, the age threshold for free subway rides has remained fixed at 65 for about 40 years, failing to reflect changes in the social structure.

The Seoul Metropolitan Council currently has 106 active seats, with the People Power Party holding a majority of 68 seats, making it highly likely that the ordinance will pass the plenary session today.

The city plans to move forward with the policy through social consensus and administrative preparations once the legal foundation is established with the passage of the ordinance.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.