Inje County in Gangwon Province has announced that it will completely eliminate bus fares starting next year.

The county decided to provide free bus services to improve local transportation conditions and guarantee the mobility rights of its residents.

Compared to its wide area, Inje has a low population density and long distances between villages, making public transportation heavily dependent on transportation-vulnerable groups such as the elderly and teenagers who do not own cars.

Accordingly, the county pursued the free-fare policy with a focus on reducing the economic burden of using buses and creating a transportation environment where anyone can move around conveniently.

Another objective is to strengthen transportation connectivity between railway stations and downtown areas in line with the future opening of the Chuncheon-Sokcho East-West high-speed railway.

The county plans to enhance travel convenience between downtown areas and station areas such as Inje Station and Baektam Station following the opening of the railway, and to revitalize the local economy by driving a floating population into local commercial districts through the promotion of public transportation use.

The free-of-charge targets include rural buses and town buses operating on regular routes in Inje.

Anyone can use them for free regardless of their place of residence or age.

However, passengers must tag their transportation cards to check the number of boarding passengers and compile usage statistics.

The county will compensate transport operators for the loss of revenue resulting from the free bus policy.

According to a cost estimate calculated by Inje County, 396 million won is expected to be spent next year.

The county plans to accurately calculate and support transport revenue losses based on actual bus usage performance.

Kwon O-young, head of the Safety and Transportation Division at Inje County, said, "We hope that the free bus service will ease the transportation cost burden for residents and enhance travel convenience for tourists, and we will make thorough preparations so that anyone can use the bus without inconvenience starting next January."

(Photo provided by Inje County, Yonhap News)