Foreign tourists increase, Seoul's downtown becomes tour bus parking lot... 'Need to activate drop zones'

Seoul's burgeoning tourism sector, while a boon for the economy, is increasingly straining the city's infrastructure, particularly its already congested streets. The record influx of foreign visitors, estimated at over 14.8 million last year, has led to a significant rise in the number of tour buses circulating within the city's historic four gates. This surge has brought the long-standing issue of tour bus parking back into sharp focus, with illegal parking becoming a daily nuisance for residents and commuters. The situation is particularly acute in areas like Sogong-dong, where buses occupy bus-only lanes for extended periods, causing considerable traffic delays and frustration. Despite the existence of designated parking facilities, they are insufficient to meet the demand, and enforcement of parking regulations appears to be a persistent challenge.

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The illegal parking of tour buses is causing severe traffic congestion. Commuting is extremely stressful.

The city faces a difficult dilemma: expanding parking in the expensive downtown core is economically unfeasible, with each spot costing an estimated 500 million won. Furthermore, existing designated parking areas are often occupied by other vehicles, rendering them ineffective. This lack of adequate and properly managed parking forces tour bus drivers to resort to illegal parking, creating chaotic traffic situations and safety hazards. The low fines for illegal parking do little to deter offenders, and the city's attempts to increase them have been met with resistance from those whose livelihoods depend on these buses. The current system is clearly unsustainable as the number of tourists continues to grow.

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There is nowhere to park the car. If you want to attract tourists, you should provide a place to park, shouldn't you?

To address this escalating problem, experts are advocating for a fundamental restructuring of how tour buses navigate and park in Seoul. The proposed solution involves implementing a 'drop zone' system, similar to those used in major European cities like New York. Under this model, tour buses would be permitted to temporarily stop in designated areas within the city center solely for passenger pick-up and drop-off. After disembarking or collecting tourists, these buses would be required to relocate to parking facilities located on the outskirts of the city. This approach would free up valuable road space in the congested downtown area, improve traffic flow, and enhance the overall urban experience for both residents and visitors. The city is planning to construct a new 90-space underground parking facility for tour buses near the Unhyeon Palace, but this is seen as a partial solution to a much larger problem.

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It is inefficient in terms of cost and space utilization to secure additional parking space in the city center. It is more efficient to activate only 'drop zones' in the city center, like in New York or European tourist cities, and have vehicles that have dropped off tourists move to the outskirts to wait.