Free bus service for youth in Andong? Ordinance exists, but budget is lacking.

Andong City in South Korea is contemplating the introduction of a free bus service for its youth, a move that aligns with a broader trend of expanding public transportation initiatives within the Gyeongbuk province. While the city has an ordinance in place for youth public transport support, budget limitations have so far restricted its implementation to seniors aged 70 and above.

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The issue is not financial capacity, but rather where to prioritize: budgets for car use or guaranteeing youth mobility rights.

The Gyeongbuk province has been at the forefront of free bus services, with 19 regions nationwide implementing such programs, and Gyeongbuk leading with seven. Many cities and counties in the province have already extended free bus services to seniors, and some, like Gyeongju and Yeongcheon, have also included children and adolescents.

A report by the Green Transition Institute proposes a phased approach for Andong's youth free bus service. This would begin with high school students, followed by middle school students, and then out-of-school youth. Based on a case study from Gunsan City, which offers up to 50,000 won per month per person, the estimated annual cost for Andong would range from approximately 2.17 billion won for high school students alone to about 4.65 billion won if middle school students are included. This represents a modest fraction, around 0.29%, of Andong City's total supplementary budget of 1.613 trillion won for the year.

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We are considering a plan to refund half the transportation costs to youth in connection with the Andong local currency 'chak'.

The institute argues that the decision hinges less on financial capacity and more on prioritizing transportation budgets for private car use versus ensuring youth mobility rights. Andong City's mayor, Kwon Gi-chang, who was re-elected, had previously pledged "half-price transportation support for elementary, middle, and high school students" as a campaign promise. The city is currently exploring options like a "half-price transportation fee refund" linked to a local currency program, stating that a free service is not under consideration at this time.

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Considering the climate crisis, carbon reduction, guaranteeing youth mobility rights, and the trend of free bus services across Gyeongbuk, the half-price transportation policy is very positive.